Smoke
by Flowerperson
Summary: SemiAU from Waterbending Scroll. Every villain thinks that kidnapping the girl will result in their victory. Unfortunately, things rarely turn out that way. Instead, Zuko and Katara somehow manage to unleash two malicious spirits upon the world. Oh dear.
1. Pirates

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**  
**Title:** Smoke  
**Rating:** K+ (PG)**  
Categories:** Action/Adventure/Drama with some romance and humour**  
Summary:** Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"  
**Pairings:** Zuko x Katara (Zutang), Jet x Katara (...Jetara?) with hints of Aang x Katara (Kataang)**  
Notes:** Takes place near the end of **Book One: Water, Chapter Nine: The Waterbending Scroll** but with some different events (the major one being that the end of the episode changes). That episode sparked my first **ATLA** story—let's see if it's a good thing or not. Most scenes will involve Katara or Zuko—but I'll try to put in some parts with Aang and Sokka.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part I: Pirates**

This way... that way... slow and steady... breathe deeply... be one with the water... stay calm... stay flexible... feel the water... become the water... move your weight through the positions...

"_Aargh!" _The water fell back into the river moving slowly past. "Shoot! Come _on, _water! Work with me here!" Water rose out of the stream and began to move to her command. It resembled a slug—she was still on her water streaming and it was far too thick to be a water whip. "Okay, what if I just..."

She tried lengthening the water therefore thinning it but suddenly it got out of control and the stream's tail slapped her before returning to the river. "Ow!" she rubbed her cheek; it would leave a mark. "Stupid scroll." Katara grumbled to herself.

She took a deep breath then exhaled. When she inhaled once more, she continued to bend the water. "Okay, Katara. Just shift your weight through the stances..." Controlling her breathing and movements, she tried to mimic the river—flowing, smooth, calm...

The water streamer collapsed.

Frustrated. That seemed to be one word to describe how Katara was feeling right now. "Ugh..."she knocked on her forehead. She was way too tense but it wasn't her fault; she couldn't stop thinking about how easily Aang had mastered it whilst she just made a fool of herself. She was from the water-tribe! She should pick it up better than an airbender, better than a twelve-year-old kid! Then again, this 'kid' was the Avatar.

She would never be able to compete with that.

Suddenly there was a loud sound nearby and she turned sharply, her eyes scanning the darkness. Putting the water scroll in her pocket and moving cautiously to where the sound had come from, she pushed back two thick bushes.

Gasping, she recognised the pirate ship from the market. They were still after the scroll that she had stolen, and she—being as stupid as she was—had just given away her location with her sounds of disappointment.

Walking backwards, she realised how it was a bad idea to come here and practice on her own in the darkness. Katara should have just stayed in camp and forgotten about that silly piece of parchment.

The girl turned and sprinted, only to run into a heavily muscled man that was nearly twice her size, and without a top, showing off the scar across his right pectoral muscle. She struggled in the grip he had on her shoulders.

"No! No! Let go of me!" Using her free arms, she bended a water streamer out of the river to hit the pirate in the face, forcing him to release his grip and stagger backwards.

Keeping her eyes on the pirate behind her, Katara ran forward—bad idea. She saw something in her peripheral vision and tried to stop but it was too late as the figure grabbed onto her wrists and pulled her towards him—Prince Zuko.

He smirked, an expression that Katara could only identify with a firebender, "I'll save you from the pirates."

She continued to struggle, trying to rip her wrists from his grip but it was no use. He was smart enough to realise that without her arms, she could not waterbend. Spinning her round (so fast that it made her dizzy) and pinning her arms to her back, he began to march her towards the pirate ship. She noticed another smaller boat with it and recognised it as part of the Fire Nation's.

Of course—how else did Zuko get here? Grabbing the waterbending scroll from her pocket with one hand whilst he kept a firm grip on her wrists with the other, Zuko grinned. Katara turned to glare at him but he had already put on his frown and matched her glower with his own.

Turning her again so she was facing him, the fire prince pushed Katara into a tree and let go of her arms. She was thinking how stupid he was to let go when they were this close to water but when she felt some soldier grab onto her wrists and tie them with rope, she understood. They were tying her to a tree so she could not escape, and so they could interrogate her about Aang's whereaboats.

Being in front of an aggressive prince, merciless Fire Nation soldiers and a group of savage pirates, Katara tried her best to not look intimidated or frightened. She pretended to act aloof, as if she didn't know that they could all kill her in an instant. But, dear readers, she most certainly did.

"Tell me where he is, and I won't hurt you or your brother." How did Zuko know about Sokka's relation to her? He must have really good memory, or have noticed that they looked similar (Katara thought that she looked no more like Sokka than she looked like any other person in her village). Perhaps he had overheard a conversation and they had mentioned that. Being as obsessed and as sneaky as he was, Katara did not doubt it.

She resisted the urge to spit at him—she was far more civilised than that and instead yelled at him to "Go jump in the river!" He tilted his head to the side and stared at the ground, assessing the situation and coming up with a new plan; a new tactic of questioning. Katara hid her gulp as she wondered if he would use torture as a method but sticking her nose in the air defiantly, she would rather die than tell him anything about Aang.

Zuko saw him as only the Avatar, but he was much, much more than that. He was a twelve-year-old boy, the last of the Airbenders, a compassionate and caring spirit and Katara's good friend. Not that the spoiled prince would know anything about friendship!

His voice turned sickeningly sweet and friendly, not at all fitting the prince's image, "Try to understand..." She turned her head to the left, refusing even to look at the cruel royal firebender. "I need to capture him to restore something I've lost..." He began to circle the tree that she was tied to. His change of tone made her feel unnerved, especially when he was out of her sight and behind her. "My honour..."

She looked to the right as he came to her left, still refusing to meet his gaze. He was very close to her now (so close that she was extremely uncomfortable); when he breathed, it fanned the back of her neck. It made her shiver and goosebumps would have appeared across her skin, if his breath was not so warm.

"Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." Katara did not have to be looking at Prince Zuko to know that he was smirking. He was trying to make a deal but she would never trade Aang's life, especially to the son of the Fire Lord. She would not give him the satisfaction of giving in—she was much stronger than that. Noticing that he had something in his hand, she stared at it as he brought it up to her neck before realising that it was strangely familiar.

Katara gasped. "My mother's necklace!" She had lost it whilst freeing the earthbenders and when she noticed it was gone, she had thought that she would never see it again. She couldn't deny that she missed it; it was all she had left of her mother. Zuko smirked as he pulled away, dangling it in front of him to taunt her. Even as he walked away with his back to her, he made sure that she could still see him looking at it—_admiring _it. "How did you get that?"

He turned to face her, "I didn't steal it if that's what you're wondering." Changing back to the usual commanding self, Zuko demanded: "Tell me where he is."

"No!" she shouted. Even if her mother's necklace _was _Katara's prized possession, Aang was much more important. He was the hope of the world, and even if he wasn't, she would never have swapped a piece of jewellery—sentimentality or no sentimentality—for a life. And dealing with the Fire Nation? Never!

The pirate captain interrupted them, fed up with all this "necklace garbage" and asking for the waterbending scroll. Prince Zuko threatened to burn it into ash if the pirates did not find and bring to him the Avatar and the pirates did as he instructed, albeit grumbling on the way. Zuko—still holding her mother's necklace—placed the heirloom into his pocket but made sure that the blue ribbon dangled out so Katara could see.

She clenched her fists and growled, and he responded with a smirk.

-

Thanking Momo the lemur after he released her from the tree, Katara rubbed her sore wrists. The rope had been unforgiving, very similar to the prince that had captured her and had chaffed the skin, making it raw and red. Luckily, she wasn't bleeding.

Glancing around, Katara looked over the situation in front of her. Sokka and Aang had been captured by the pirates but when Zuko wanted to trade the scroll for the boy, Sokka mentioned how the 'boy' was the Avatar and was far more valuable than a piece of parchment. Prince Zuko tried to make it seem as if the 'water tribe peasant' was lying but it did not work and the pirates decided to keep the Avatar.

Zuko—obviously angry—had launched an attack and the pirates had responded by throwing smokescreens and now the grey cloud was steadily expanding and consuming the beach shore.

All but Momo and Katara were inside, and Aang and Sokka were in the centre. She pondered over her two options. She could go into the smoke and try to find Aang and Sokka and prepare an escape route. Since the smoke was still thick (not to mention full of Fire Nation troops and pirates), she decided to go with the second choice and began to run around the perimeter of the smoke clouds, where she knew the pirate boat was.

However, she was knocked to the floor when someone stumbled out of the dark grey gas. Prince Zuko turned to her, his fists covered in flames and a snarl on his lips but when he caught sight of her, the fire dissipated. He reached for her but she scurried into the thick cloud, knowing it was the most effective way to escape the Fire Prince. She stayed close to the floor—smoke rises—and tried not to be spotted by others in the smoke.

Katara heard her brother and Aang calling to each other and stood up, shouting to them. "Guys! Guys!" One of the pirates nearby must have dropped another smoke-bomb, and it made her start a coughing fit. When she recovered, she continued to call to her accomplices, "Where are you? Aang? Sokka?"

The girl nearly jumped out of her skin when something dropped in front of her but grinned broadly when she noticed what it was—the waterbending scroll! The waterbender placed it back into her pocket, where it _belonged_. Although, she would have much preferred her mother's necklace...

She couldn't hear Sokka or Aang anymore—had they gotten out of the smoke? Perhaps she should just try to get out too, instead of walking about blindly. She'd be able to think with a much leveller head if she could breathe in fresh air. Coughing hoarsely, she realised how urgent the fresh air was to her lungs. Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke...

Suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing.

"Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"

Her fingers attempted to pry Zuko's strong grip from her wrist but he responded by raising the temperature of his hands, making her all-too aware of how easy it would be for him to burn her to ashes. Nevertheless, she continued to thrash against his grip, refusing to be captured once more. The prince dragged her out of the cloud and tied her wrists with some rope conveniently attached to his belt thus her waterbending was once again useless. Where was Momo? And Aang? And Sokka? And Appa?

Continuing her struggles, Katara screeched at him. "You have no right! _You have no right!" _

He flung her to the floor whilst pointing to himself with his thumb. His pose was aggressive, proud and arrogant and matched the royal's character very well. "I have every right as the Fire Pr—" Zuko ducked, just missing the captain of the pirate's sword. If he had been any less aware or not as quick with his reflexes, the teenager would have been without his head.

The captain and the prince continued to fight; the pirate using his sword whilst the prince used his firebending skills as well as hand-to-hand combat. Seeing this as her chance to escape, she began to crawl away only to just miss fire thrown at her head. Although Zuko was fighting, he was still keeping a careful eye on Katara to make sure that she did not escape. The water tribe girl watched in amazement as the old man she had seen accompanying Zuko managed to stop them from fighting.

"Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?" he asked the pirate captain.

Zuko turned to the elderly man. "We have no time for your proverbs, uncle!" he raised his voice and clenched his fists but Katara noted that he made no move to attack him. But this old guy was Zuko's uncle! They were nothing alike, and she guessed that he was from Zuko's mother's side. No Fire Nation royal could be so cheerful and carefree as she had seen just a few moments ago when she had been tied up against the tree.

In fact, he seemed to be lamenting over a 'lost lotus tile', which was a ridiculous thing! No firebender would withstand such nonsense. They knew nothing of 'fun', only war and destruction. It was, after all, their element. "It's no proverb," Zuko's uncle stated as he pointed towards the river flowing past. She looked in that direction and noticed the pirate's boat moving away. But that was impossible! The smoke had now cleared, and all the pirates were on the beach, as were the Fire Nation soldiers. Unless...

"Aang!" she called. "Sokka!" The pirate cursed and ran after his ship whilst Zuko pointed and laughed. When she heard the sound emerge, Katara looked to him with wide eyes. She had never imagined that the spoiled prince could emit such a sound—it was a teenager's laugh, like Sokka's. It didn't at all suit the firebender.

However, his laughter quickly ceased as the pirates sailed past in the small Fire Nation ship. The captain hopped on and they all waved at the Fire Nation troops and their prince Zuko. One particular man decided to moon them and Katara looked away in embarrassment. "Hey! That's my boat!" Zuko began to run after it. The sight was so comical that she found it hard to repress the snicker, but managed to.

When she heard Zuko's uncle speak to himself—"Hey, maybe it should be a proverb..."—it was too much and she began to chuckle. Her merriment also came to a quick end because soon the Fire Prince was holding her up by the front of her clothes.

"What do you find so funny, peasant?" She put on a stoic face, revealing nothing. Grabbing onto the rope that was attached to her wrists (the rope had been too long to wrap around her wrists so she was left with a trail) he pulled her along. "Come on, uncle!" The elderly firebender followed after them and they soon reached the end of the river—a waterfall.

Looking at the remains of the pirate ship below, Katara hoped that Sokka and Aang were okay. She scanned the skies and grinned when she saw Appa's form flying away in the distance. She considered calling to them but they were too far to hear, and that would only aggravate Zuko, not that she minded. She was just aware of his firebending skills. Katara wondered if she should dry jumping off the waterfall but it was foolish, and a death wish with her arms tied behind her back.

"My boat!" he yelled. His uncle leant over to catch his breath then started laughing.

"Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this... That lotus tile was in my sleeve the _whole time_!" Cringing and stepping back, Katara watched as Zuko's breathing became laboured and feared his wrath. He snatched the lotus tile from the greying man's hand then threw it as hard as he could over the waterfall.

Tugging at the rope connected to her wrists once more, Zuko marched on. "Well, it seems we're going for a little walk, water peasant. Hurry up, uncle. We must retrieve a boat and—"

"Katara."

"What?" he turned to her with an angry expression but her face remained emotionless.

"My name is not 'Peasant'. It's Katara."

He scoffed and continued his trek, muttering "Peasant" loud enough so she could hear.


	2. Prisoners

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of the first half of **Book One: Water, Chapter Ten: Jet** although is... _quite_ similar and uses the same characters and dangers. I'm fifty-fifty with this chapter. Some parts I like, other parts I dislike.

_Aaah! I just noticed something wrong with the last chapter! In the _**Pairings**_ list, I put Zuko and Katara as Zutang! ((hits head)) Stupid, stupid! Obviously, I know it's Zutara. I'm just being stupid, stupid, stupid!

* * *

_

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part II: Prisoners**

"Are we there yet?"

"No, uncle."

"How about now?"

"No!"

"...Are we there yet?"

"For the thousandth time, uncle! No, we are _not _there yet!" Flames erupted from Zuko's hands and Katara was glad that he had recently dropped the rope that was tied to her wrists. Katara, shockingly, could understand Zuko's distress as his uncle (Iroh was his name, he had told her as he repeated his story of the lost lotus tile for the third time) had been moaning for the last two hours.

He waggled his finger angrily at Zuko, "You should not be so cranky to your uncle. My bones are weak and fragile; I need to rest!" From the way he had stopped the pirate captain and the prince from fighting, she thought that that was a lie. "The sun is setting—we should set up camp now before it is completely dark."

"I agree." Katara stated as she sat down on the floor, crossing her legs to show that she would not be moving any time soon. In the corner of her eye she saw Iroh smile and do the same.

"No one asked you for your opinion! Get up!" Zuko ordered but both stayed seated. He growled and put his hands to his head, as if he had a headache. A big and painful one, she hoped. "Insufferable peasant!" He nudged her with his foot but she still refused to acquiesce to his command. Besides, tonight she might be able to escape.

"Katara is smart, Zuko." Iroh said and she was happy that at least _he _was calling her by her proper name and not 'peasant'. Growling with fury, Zuko tied the rope to a tree and then walked off, mumbling something about retrieving food.

Iroh smiled at Katara, "I am sorry, Miss Katara. He just gets moody when he hasn't had a nap." He chuckled, "And I think he's still angry about losing your friend and the boat." Katara nodded in agreement—hey, she could get to like this man (even if he _was _a firebender) since he referred to both her and Aang as real people, instead of peasants and weapons—but didn't say anything. Were Aang and Sokka all right? Why had they left her? They _knew _she was still on the island...

"Do not worry, I'm sure that your brother and friend are fine. After all, they've evaded my nephew all this time."

"I... I know. I want to see them, but I don't want them to come and rescue me because there's a chance that _they _would be captured."

He laughed, remembering a certain bath in the springs, "I know how you feel! Being an old man, I'm not as strong as I used to be, nor as fast. Now it's my nephew that has to do all the physical tasks and being as tired—" he yawned to add emphasis, "—as I am in my late age, he also has to come up with the mental strategies. However," he grinned, "There is no one better than my nephew to face such a challenge."

Katara hung her head. "But Zuko is cruel—he doesn't understand how Aang is a living being. He's just a kid and yet Zuko treats him like a weapon, a tool for the Fire Nation! Why can't he just leave Aang alone? Why can't the Fire Nation just leave _everyone _alone? Until Fire Lord Souzen, everyone lived in harmony... until Souzen, there was not as much pain as there is today. There were not as many losses." She clenched her fists behind her before looking up to Iroh with an angry expression, "The Avatar brings this world hope after a century in darkness! Why does the Fire Nation have to ruin it!"

"Power." Was her answer from the forest as Zuko walked out, holding two fish that were already lightly cooked but not quite ready. "The Avatar has told you about Souzen's Comet, correct?" Katara made no hint that she had. "With the power of the comet, all firebenders' skills will be tripled, quadrupled... We will become the most powerful beings in this world, and no one will be able to stop us... apart from the Avatar, if he learns firebending. When the Fire Lord has the Avatar imprisoned, the threat will be removed."

"Don't you mean 'if'? Face it, Zuko. You'll never capture Aang! He knows that the world is much more important to save than me." That was why he left her alone. He had a duty as the Avatar to save the world and compared to that, her life was nothing.

Zuko and Iroh exchanged looks. "Obviously you missed the look the Avatar sent you yesterday," the prince remarked as he began roasting the fish. "How pitiful. The _Avatar_ falling for a water tribe peasant."

Katara blinked a few times. Aang had feelings for her? Sure, they were good friends but did he hope he would become something more? She had never thought of him like that. She had alwaysconsidered him as a kid, although sometimes she admired his bending talents (until he started showing off, which made her envious).

"But I wouldn't waste my time thinking over what could be. It's never going to happen. I _will _capture the Avatar therefore return home where I shall be welcomed with open arms and better yet," he smirked at the flames in front of him, "The Fire Nation _will _rule this world." He cut the fish into small pieces and shoved one piece into her mouth since she couldn't move her hands. "Eat up." Zuko smirked.

She spat the morsel out. "I'm not hungry."

-

Run, Katara! Run, run, run! Her feet pounded against the dirt floor as she tried to pick up speed, knowing that the prince was hot on her tail. A blast of fire hitting her foot proved this assumption—even though it was more of a comparison—correct. Her heel stung but she continued limping on, searching for a river, a stream or even a puddle!

She had spent the whole night trying to undo the knot on the rope for the tree and had finally succeeded, just as the sun was beginning to rise. As soon as she started to run away, Prince Zuko had woken up and given chase, aiming with his firebending.

It was an unfair advantage, seeing as he could summon his element whenever and she had to find a source of hers. Not to mention that he had eaten well and slept, whilst she had not had a single bite and had been trying to escape all night. There was not enough water in the soil, and the canteen she carried was not with her.

Maybe there were people nearby—people that could help her. She called out: "Please! Someone, help! Firebenders! Help!"

He grabbed onto the braid of her hair and threw herto the floor. "You should have known it was futile to try and escape. And do you really think someone will come help y—"

Suddenly he was kicked to the side by a dark-haired boy, no older than Zuko. "Miss," he greeted as he pretended to take off a hat and bowed. His skin wasan olive shadeand he had deep, brown eyes. Reaching over, he helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" his hands were so rough, yet so gentle with her own. Her cheeks turned a faint pink as she nodded, unable to form words.Katara's saviourwas undeniably handsome, with roguish good looks.

"Hey! That's my prisoner!" Zuko growled as he came to his feet, his hands covered in his flames.

"Is that so, Fire Nation scum? Well," he looked to Katara and winked, "It seems that she's just been freed by me, Jet: Enemy of the Fire Nation and Leader of the Freedom Fighters! By the expression on your face I'm guessing that you've heard of me."

Zuko's was one of confusion. "Right... just give me the girl before I burn you to a crisp. Come on, peasant. Do you really want this boy to be hurt because of you?" Katara looked between Zuko and 'Jet'. She didn't want him to be hurt, but she didn't want to go back to being Zuko's prisoner—his bargaining chip for finding the Avatar—either.

Who knows? Maybe he could take on the prince. His strange swords looked quite dangerous, with a curved tip that looked like the tools they used for climbing walls or mountains of ice back home. Glancing at her surroundings, she was guessing that he used them to climb the tall trees.

"Well?" he continued to question, "Do you?"

"I think I've heard enough. Obviously you've been holding this girl captive against her will, and I won't stand for it, you rat!" He held his swords threateningly, making a sweeping movement in an attempt to intimidate the prince, which failed.

Zuko laughed and crossed his arms, "Do you plan to defeat me on your own? You don't stand a chance. I am the Fire Nation Prince!"

He grinned, as if he knew something the firebender did not. "Is that so?" He hooked his swords onto his belt and put both hands to his mouth, making a bird call. Almost immediately, there was a response. Zuko was about to ask him if he was planning to defeat him with _birds _but when he felt something hard hit his head, darkness overwhelmed him.

Katara gasped as the small boy which had landed on the Fire Nation's prince got off him, dusting himself off. "No sweat," he smiled as he made a 'thumbs-up' sign to Jet, who returned the gesture before turning to Katara and taking both her hands in his.

"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded, still staring at the royal's unconscious form. He would have a rather nasty bump on his head when he awoke. She was torn from feeling sorry for him or being glad that he was unconscious. Wait! What was she saying? He had held her captive! He deserved everything that came to him the no good, lying, black-hearted firebender!

Jet noticed the way she was preferring to shift her weight on one foot rather than the other and held onto her hand. "Come on, let's get your wounds treated."

"Oh... b-but it's only minor! No really, I'm fine! Fine! You don't have to...whoa!" he scooped her up and held her in his arms bridal-style and she held onto his neck tightly.

"Nonsense! Burns are the most painful of all wounds, especially for young ladies." She frowned, fearing this was another boy that shared Sokka's chauvinistic views. "Even a strong woman such as yourself. I'm very impressed by your stamina and capability to escape from a firebender. I'd love to hear your tecniques." Maybe he wasn't _that _bad. And besides, she had been walking the whole day before. She'd like to just rest her feet for a while, before making her way to her brother.

"But what about...?"

"Oh, _his majesty_? Hmmm... Pipsqueak!" he called and she expected the little one that had knocked him unconscious to answer. Instead, a large boy emerged from the trees.

"Yes, Jet?"

"Place the prince in one of the traps. We'll interrogate him later."

-

"Um... thank you, for saving me back there." Jet had applied a thick substance from an aloe plant that had soothed her burn on the back of her foot and had then bandaged it up. She was sure that he was exaggerating the injury a bit but after being treated like a 'peasant' for so long, the change was enjoyable. Now they both sat in a hut which was up in the trees, like many other huts. They were all connected by swinging bridges and Jet had explained that this was why the Fire Nation had never been able to capture them.

"No, thank _you_ for bringing the Fire Lord's son to us. We'll be able to get great insights on the Fire Nation's tactics and schemes for the future, and thethey will be much more intimidated if we have their prince."

Katara sighed as she looked out of the window and saw Zuko in a spherical edge crafted out of metal. Jet had also told her that the traps weredesigned on the onesfrom the Fire Nation—they had stolenmany and created replicas (withalterations)and now used them for trespassers and food. They were also a quick method of transport to get to the top. "I don't think he'll answer any questions."

"Why not? All firebenders are cowards on the inside, why else do you think they started the war? And being a spoiled prince, he'll be much more complacent to our demands."

She shook her head, "I still think you should be careful. Zuko is devious and cunning; he'll come up with an escape plan. Wait a second... what if he starts firebending and destroys all these trees?"

Jet grinned. "The metal in the cage is special; it has a low melting point.If the prince starts to firebend, the cage will break and he will fall a hundred feet to his doom. If he survives, he'll probably be unconscious or unable to walk. Usually we exterminate Fire Nation troops when we come across them, but we must treat his _Highness _with the utmost respect."

Katara gulped, "E-Exterminate?"

He nodded with a stern look, "What goes around comes around, Katara. Those monsters killed many people, including my parents. I was only eight, and I've never been the same since."

Staring at her hands wringing in her lap, Katara spoke in a quiet voice; it was almost silent. "My father left our tribe to go to war against the Fire Nation two years ago," she sighed, "And my mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid."

"I'm so sorry, Katara." He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into his embrace.

-

Zuko groaned as he awoke, his eyesight blurry as he scanned around him. He was in a round cage—one he recognised as being a firebender's—and being held quite high. So high, in fact, that he didn't think he would survive the fall.

"So, Zuko, how does it feel to become the prisoner?" he looked to the side and saw the waterbending wench standing on a bridge facing him with an angry facial expression. Beside her stood the impudent boy—Jet, he had called himself—and a few more people. They were all quite young, so Zuko assumed that they were also foolish, not to mention ignorant of how powerful he truly was. 'Jet' had said something about Freedom Fighters, so these little brats must have been in this group.

"How long do you think this piece of scrap metal can hold me?"

Jet smirked, "I'd be far more concerned about your height if the trap does break. Even you, an almighty son of the Fire Nation, will not be able to walk away from a drop that great.

He scoffed, "You have no idea of my limitations. Water peasant, I'm surprised you haven't run away yet. I'd enjoy your freedom whilst you can, and _you,_" Zuko hissed, glaring at Jet. "I'd enjoy your life whilst you can because when I get out of here, you both will lose them."

"Mighty brave for someone locked up a hundred feet in the air, you murdering rat. Katara," Jet laid a hand on the blue-eyed female's shoulder, "Perhaps you should get some rest. You've had a tiring few days." Zuko did not miss how close they were. They were almost... intimate. It made him shudder; that water tribe girl really did get around. First the Avatar, and now this 'Leader of the Freedom Fighters'.

When the girl departed, another small little child ran up to Jet. "Jet, the preparation's ready. The reservoir is nearly full, and we have just set up the last of the blasting jelly."

"Excellent," the dark-haired boy commented. Zuko's un-burned eyebrow rose.

"Do you really think this is right, Jet?" the largest one (grossly overweight) asked, "Destroying a whole village of earth-tribesmen for just a dozen firebenders? I mean, there's women and children there."

"Are you questioning my orders, Pipsqueak?"

"No, Jet," he muttered as he stared at the floor. "Not at all."

"Good. Tonight we'll build another trench from another stream, and fill it up completely. Then... '_boom_'!" They all cheered in future victory before Zuko's laugh interrupted them. "What? What's so funny, _Prince_?"

"You act as if firebenders are the cheating murderers, when you are the ones slaughtering innocent people. You are so alike to firebenders whom you hate so much. The Fire Nation must eradicate some other nations for limitless and unconquerable power, whilst you don't care who you eliminate as long as the Fire Nation is destroyed. You betray your own kin, which is something the Fire Nation never..." he did not continue, knowing he could not finish the sentence honestly.

"What do you know?"

"I know that no honour can be retrieved from vengeance."

"Huh! You are the dishonourable one!"

Zuko growled and glared through the bars of the cage, but remained silent and closed his eyes, crossing his legs and beginning his meditation. By dawn, he would already be gone.

-


	3. Proof

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of the second half of **Book One: Water, Chapter Ten: Jet** although is very similar and uses the same characters and dangers. I'm once again fifty-fifty with this chapter.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part III: Proof**

Katara couldn't sleep whilst she knew he was dangling outside. The very possibility that he might be _watching _her made her shiver and find it much more difficult to doze off. She was just being stupid, she told herself, he wouldn't have been able to escape without plummeting downwards and Zuko was much too smart for that.

But a risk-taker too.

The wind was strong up here in the trees and the sound of the metal cages moving back and forth (making creaking noises) made it impossible for her restlessness to be cured.

Why, all of a sudden, was it so cold? She shuddered, pulling the blankets closer to her body, feeling a draft that made goosebumps dance across her dark skin.

A footstep. She sat up in bed and looked towards the doorway to see a silhouette of a tall boy. When flame erupted in his hands, the light revealed his facial features and she gasped. "Zuko! No! You escaped!"

"I told you, water peasant. Now... I'm taking your freedom _and _your life! The Avatar will just have to mourn over your burnt ashes!"

He threw the fireball and the scorching heat consumed her.

-

Sokka frowned as he and Aang stared into the fire. "I'm sure she's fine," he repeated for the hundredth time. "Katara's a brave girl—a strong girl. She'd have escaped by now. Yep! I'm sure of it! She's probably looking for us, right now!"

Aang remained silent, staring into the fiery embers. The water-tribe boy sighed and poked at the campfire with his good arm (his left arm). When he been inside the smokescreen, a firebender had managed to burn his arm. He had found the Avatar unconscious on the floor (luckily, none of the Fire Nation troops or pirates had spotted him) and had had taken him out of the grey cloud.

Sokka had had no choice; he knew that it was imperative for Aang to be safe and not captured by the Fire Nation. They couldn't kill Katara if they still needed the Avatar. He had managed to push the pirate's boat away (through an impressive display of strength that _everyone _missed) and haul both Aang and himself onto the deck. Their very short journey started well until pirates started jumping on. Whilst fighting one, he had managed to slash at Sokka's chest, making a long diagonal cut across it. It wasn't serious, but it had stung. Using all his strength, Sokka had been able to throw all the pirates into the sea (with some help from Momo, of course). Then, he realised that the boat was coming to a waterfall.

At this point, Aang was half-conscious and had told Sokka to use the bison whistle he had bought for one copper piece. Sokka was sceptical but it wasn't like he had a plan, so he blew into the whistle.

Just as the pirate's boat fell over the edge, Appa had come and saved the three (including Momo, even though he had wings).

They had abandoned Katara. No, it wasn't even Aang, Momo or Appa's fault. It was _his _fault; Sokka's fault; her own brother's fault. He had left her with those firebenders, and those pirates. He knew deep down that she would have preferred them to escape than for Aang to be captured but it did not remove the guilt from festering at the pit of his stomach.

Zuko was a cruel, merciless firebender and his little sister was in his grip.

No, he told himself. Katara was resourceful, smart, full of stamina and spirit, courageous, strong and not to mention a waterbender. She would have escaped by now...

Even so, did she really stand a chance against Zuko?

Sokka looked to Aang and sighed once more.

-

"_NOOOOO!"_

Katara sat up in bed, covered in sweat and wrapped in her sheets. She inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to regain her breath and calm her rapidly beating heart. She had never had a nightmare about Zuko before—they had always been centred on her family or the water tribe back in the South Pole—but never before had it felt so _real_.

Her hands were shaking and no matter how long she sat there, she couldn't get them to calm down. Putting on her shoes, Katara decided to take a little walk; the fresh air would do her good. Jet had told her not to venture out unguarded, but it wasn't like she was going to the ground floor. She just hoped that she didn't wake anyone up—she knew the Freedom Fighters needed their rest in order to rebel against the Fire Nation.

Up this high on the bridges, she could look past the trees and see the half moon gazing down at her, bathing her in its ethereal light that it had borrowed from the sun. It was a well-known fact that all waterbenders found their strength in the moon spirit. The moon ruled over the ocean, controlling the tides, similar to what waterbenders did. Even members of the water-tribe that weren't benders hailed the moon for its beauty and the way it kept balance in the world.

"You're up late, little girl," a voice taunted. She nearly died from heart attack, as she remembered the events of her nightmare. Breathing calmly, she turned to face the fire prince in his cage, ignoring the frantic beating of her heart. Even when he was locked up and unable to attack, she was still terrified of him.

"You don't intimidate me, Zuko!" she hissed, using her waterbending to remove the sweat from her skin.

He was sitting back leisurely in the round cage, as if enjoying himself. He was treating it like a _vacation_. "Then I suppose I'm not doing my job," he stated in a soft (therefore dangerous) voice. "What's wrong, peasant? Did you have a bad dream?" Clenching her fists, Katara moved away. She had had enough fresh air. Just as she reached the platform outside her hut, he spoke again. "Just so you know... your _boyfriend_ is a murderer."

"Jet isn't my boyfriend!" she snapped, keeping her back to him, "But I know. He has killed firebenders for their crimes."

"Not only firebenders."

Katara turned to him with her eyes narrowed—suspicious of Zuko's intentions for saying these things. "What do you mean?"

"What I _mean _is that the 'Leader of the Freedom Fighters' and 'Enemy of the Fire Nation' is planning to wipe out a whole village full of earth-tribe civilians. Women, children, anyone that gets in his way."

"No! Jet would never..."

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" He gestured behind her and she turned to see Jet no more than a foot away from her, scowling at the caged prince who replied with a smirk.

"Jet?" She had to know the truth. Jet would be the only one she could trust, right? Zuko wasn't exactly a reliable source.

He looked deep into Katara's blue eyes. "No, Katara. I would never murder innocent civilians in exchange for vengeance. I have much more _honour—_" Zuko growled, "—than that. I would never sink to their level."

"Liar," the prince accused.

"Can't you see?" Jet held onto the waterbender's hands. "He's trying to make you doubt me! He's trying to pit us against each other. You told me that Zuko was cunning, didn't you? This is just one of his plans, but I know you are intelligent enough not to fall into it." The firebender rolled his eyes. This guy was unbelievable. "Why don't you get some rest before he plays more mind-games with you?" Katara nodded and retired to her hut. "Dawn," Jet promised as he fingered the hilts of his swords.

As the son of the Fire Lord had proclaimed mentally before, by then he would be gone.

-

"Katara! Katara! Wake up!"

Groaning, the water-tribe girl opened her eyes to see one of the younger rebels standing by her bed. He had a large helmet on his head that nearly covered his eyes and was the same one that had knocked out Prince Zuko. She put a hand over her forehead, still feeling sweaty and groggy. "Ugh... what is it?"

"Jet wanted me to tell you that the Fire Nation Prince is gone."

"Gone!" Instantly, she was wide awake. "But how? He was still in the trap last night—how did he survive the fall?" Oh no, it was slowly becoming like her nightmare. Did Zuko go back to his uncle, or was he waiting for her? Waiting for her to expose herself so he could move in for the kill. Sweat formed on her forehead.

He shrugged, "By the look of the scorch marks on the ground, Jet said that he must have broken the cage then used the force from a fire blast to slow down his descent to the ground. And because he's a firebender, he must have extinguished the fire before it started to spread. I have to stay here to look after you."

"What about Jet?"

"He's got some... uh... _important _business to attend to. It's super urgent; we've been planning it for months." Katara stared at her feet. Why was she suddenly reminded of Prince Zuko's words? (_"A murderer...") _Shaking her head, the waterbender knew she should not trust such nonsense. Since when could Zuko's word be trusted? He had taken her mother's necklace, and refused to give it back to her. When he was unconscious, she should have taken it from him then. Curse her forgetfulness!

It was midday when they heard the sound of something crashing to the floor. The boy instructed Katara to remain in the hut whilst he went out to check what was happening. Standing in the doorway and looking around, he was unable to dodge the aerial attack which knocked him unconscious. Zuko stood up and dusted himself off, similar to how the kid had done that to him.

What Jet had said was correct. What goes around _does _come around. Smirking, Zuko extended his hand to her. "What makes you think I'm going to come with you willingly?" she asked indignantly as she crossed her arms and stamped her good foot. Yet again, she had no water around her. She would urgently need a canteen filled with her element.

"Just shut up and take my hand. I am going to show you something."

"And what's that?" She received no response. He used one of the traps to get to the bottom (holding her wrist tightly) and dragged her into the forest, following a straight route. She noticed patches of ground where water had once been, but had been removed. How odd... Soon they reached a clearing and she noticed a huge reservoir, filled with water.

Great! She used her waterbending skills to summon a water streamer but Prince Zuko easily made it evaporate with a single finger. "Don't be stupid, peasant. I'm a far more powerful bender." _"Powerful bender." _For some reason, that struck a chord in the back of Katara's mind.

Jet jumped down from the trees above, "Well, well, it seems the firebending scum has returned!" He glanced to the blue-eyed waterbender, "Katara! What are you doing here? Where's—"

"I think the question is: what are _you _doing here?" Zuko's smirk was far wider than Katara had ever seen. She glanced to Jet then her brows furrowed in confusion, wondering why Zuko was acting so smug. "Why don't you tell your little girlfriend what you're planning? How this reservoir is going to drown an entire village of innocent people."

Katara gasped, looking to Jet (was what the prince had said before true?). He shrugged his shoulders in disinterest, as if he wasn't _bothered _that he would be murdering civilians,"Yeah, okay. It's true. But, Katara," he moved forwards and held one of her hands, "You must understand. The Fire Nation _must _be stopped, and we will do it by any means necessary. Sacrifices are needed in this war. You know why this is so important, don't you?" She pulled her hand out of his grip and glanced to Zuko, who still had the proud look on his face—he had just been proven right, after all.

"No! I don't see! You're just as bad as the Fire Nation, Jet! You are both—" she looked to the two of them, "—_monsters_!" Her arms moved in a circular motion and a blast of water hit the pair, forcing them back. Taking water from the reservoir, she attacked Jet and it was only after he was knocked to the floor that she noticed that she had just performed the water whip technique. No time for a celebration, however, as both boys looked pretty angry with her.

Focusing her skills on Jet (Zuko would have to wait—this was her vengeance on the boy that had _deceived_ her), the water whip viciously attacked him. "Stop, Katara! Can't you see that I'm just trying to help the people? I need your help, Katara and I really care about y—" Katara sidestepped just in time to miss Jet's blade, but it managed to graze her cheek, drawing blood.

Filled with fury, a powerful wave swept up Jet and pushed him into a tree. With a few more movements from the waterbender, the water froze and Jet was trapped in the ice. "Don't worry, Jet. I _care _about you too—but innocent lives are more important than your thirst for revenge against the Fire Nation."

"Heh! Do you really think this will stop us? Longshot! Ignite the blasting jelly!" Hidden in the trees, the Freedom Fighters' archer fired three arrows that were alight.

"_No_!" She watched in horror as the dam collapsed and water burst towards the village. With sweat pouring down her face, Katara tried to pull back the water but it was far too strong, and too much of it. Nevertheless, her determination did not cease and instead she put all her effort into positioning it _around _the village. Still, it did not work. Katara looked to the prince. "Why did you let him blow it up? You would have been able to stop it! You could have saved those people!"

Using a puddle, she made a water whip and attempted to strike him but the water evaporated as soon as it touched his skin. "There was no one to save." She was about to ask why. He interrupted her.

"Where else did you think I went when I escaped? I went to the village and ordered the soldiers to evacuate the civilians. That village Jet just destroyed was deserted."

Open. Close. Open. Close. No sound came from Katara's mouth; she just stared dumbfound at (who she thought was) the spoiled prince. He had saved the innocent villagers? A Fire Nation Royal? That was thought to be impossible, at least in Katara's eyes, but maybe he was being influenced by his friendly uncle, Iroh. "Come on, peasant."

Zuko gripped onto her wrists and pulled her away. She was still speechless, and unable to form any sort of resistance or struggle. "Wait a second!" Jet called from his prison of ice, "You're just going to go with him? The son of the tyrant Fire Lord?"

Katara glanced to Zuko, then back to Jet. "I'd rather be a prisoner of the Fire Nation, than be in alliance with a traitor."

She wondered if she really meant it, but had no time to ponder on it as she immediately yanked her wrists out of Zuko's grip and ran for her life, thinking how it seemed awfully familiar.

-


	4. Purpose

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of **Book One: Water, Chapter Twelve: The Storm. **I'm skipping the eleventh episode (**Chapter Eleven: The Great Divide**) because let's be honest—nothing much happens.

Hey! Someone noticed the pattern in my chapters! Yep, they all begin with 'P'. Why? ((shrugs)) I dunno.

If you are interested in fan-videos, I have uploaded a Zuko and Katara video (not really Zutara) on this link: http/ Check it out!

A little warning (and apology in advance): next week I may be late since my computer (grr...) managed to delete the next chapter. I'm trying to write it out again, but with school and such—it's just a warning.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part IV: Purpose**

Idly kicking the leg of her chair, Katara hummed a little tune. She, of course, was not faster than Zuko and although she had used her (meagre) waterbending, he had still caught up with her easily and dragged her back to camp, where Iroh greeted them with cups of ginseng tea. Whilst on their "vacation", the old man had travelled to the nearest port and organised for a new boat to be provided before returning with his favourite drink to wait for their return. He didn't ask where they had been, why Katara was limping, the bruise on Zuko's head (from the aerial attack) or about the length of their absence.

Now she was sitting on a chair above deck—her hands tied to the chair so she could not use her waterbending—and watching as Zuko and Iroh discussed where they should be heading. Iroh sniffed the air and claimed there was a big storm coming. "You're out of your mind, uncle!" Zuko exclaimed as he gestured towards the blue sky above them, "The weather's perfect; there's not a cloud in sight!"

"A storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head south-west." Zuko reminded him that the Avatar was travelling northward (they had figured out that he was going to learn waterbending from a master in the northern water tribe), therefore they should do the same. "Prince Zuko! Consider the safety of the crew!" Iroh scolded.

The prince sneered, "The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" He noticed the lieutenant giving him a strange look so he marched over to him and made a threatening pose. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety." He stormed over to the door but stopped when he noticed Katara looking at him with a disapproving expression. "What are you looking at, _peasant_?" Zuko slammed the door after him.

"He doesn't mean that," Iroh explained to the lieutenant, "He's just all fired up."

Katara didn't quite understand the firebending prince. He had saved a whole village full of earth-tribe civilians but he was sacrificing his own crew to look for the Avatar? She sighed, desiring to meet up with Aang but not wanting Zuko to find him either.

Around an hour later, she spied dark, ominous clouds in front of the ship—the storm. The waterbender shook her head with a smile. The old guy sure was wise. "Ah," Katara said as Zuko observed the approaching bad weather, "Looks like your uncle was right about the storm." Iroh grinned, shrugged his shoulders and claimed it was a 'lucky guess'.

Even though she had seen many, Katara was not yet accustomed to the prince's glare, which still made her tremble. "You will learn respect, peasant. Or I will have to teach it to you."

"What do you know about respect?" she rebuked with a temper to rival a firebender's, "The way you speak to your crew and your uncle shows that you know nothing about respect! You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a _spoiled prince_?"

"Better than a barbaric peasant."

"Heartless murderer!"

"Uncouth savage!"

"Dishonourable mons—"

"_That is ENOUGH_!" Iroh interrupted with a fierce tone. Katara's eyes widened as she saw Zuko's fist just a short distance from her face, burning in orange and yellow flames that reached out to lick at her skin. Sweat began to form as the heat embraced her face. She had no idea that he could move that fast. Katara didn't know what would have happened if Iroh had not intervened; the old man had his left hand around the prince's wrist and had prevented the flame-covered punch from hitting her.

... It may very well have critically injured her, scarring her for life—just as Zuko was.

Shaking in fear, Katara's eyes instantly focused on the floor, not wanting to meet any _firebender's _gaze. "Lieutenant Jee, maybe you should take Lady Katara to her cell, no? We are all tired and hungry. Perhaps a nice bowl of noodles would make us feel better."

Jee nodded and untied Katara from the chair (keeping a firm but gentle grip on her wrists) before taking her to the prison cells. He eyed the puddles disdainfully and tied up her arms behind her back once more. He did not appreciate getting smacked with the water like he had been when he first tied her to the chair on deck but didn't feel _too _annoyed with the girl.

He tightened the ropes. Well, maybe just a little bit.

Meanwhile, on deck, Zuko was looking over the broad expanse of dark clouds in front of them. "I don't need you to help keep order on this ship." Iroh placed a hand on the prince's armoured shoulder but he shrugged it off indignantly. He did not notice his uncle's sad frown, but instead glared at the bad weather ahead of him.

_Insignificant peasant..._

-

"That's it!" Katara screeched. Her arms were sore and every time she attempted to stand, she would be knocked down again by the rocking movements of the ship, landing hard on her behind. She was sure that she was bruised badly, and it was all because of that _spoiled prince_!

Turning to the guards sitting outside her cell playing cards around a bonfire (which was strange, since she thought that they would be using a table instead—it was far more practical), she directed a question to them. "Aren't you fed up of his attitude? Aren't you tired of chasing the Avatar?" Most turned away with a smile but some seemed to be contemplating her words, particularly Lieutenant Jee. He gave her an inquisitive stare—she seemed awfully fiery for someone that had come several inches from Zuko's flaming fist. "Who does Zuko think he is?"

He clenched his fists. The prince _had _been treating them _all _like the dirt under his boot; as if their lives were inferior compared to his honour. With the hot-tempered teenager, that was his one and only priority.

Honour this, honour that! The only reason he was so obsessed with the Avatar was because of his 'lost honour'. Jee agreed with the girl (no crew member would dare rat him out as he knew they all disliked Zuko's act of superiority).

_Disrespectful brat._

"Do you really want to know?" a voice asked.

"General Iroh!" the lieutenant saluted, instantly standing up as did the other crewmen. Iroh raised his hand, indicating that it was not necessary. "We just..."

"It's okay. May I join you?"

"O-of course, sir," Jee stood up and allowed Iroh to take his seat. Katara wondered what they were doing in this grimy cell but it was probably to keep an eye on her whilst getting away from Zuko.

"Try to understand," Iroh said, stroking his grey goatee, "My nephew is a complicated man." Katara scoffed; 'man', yeah right! Aang was more of a man than that... _thing _was. "He has been through much."

He explained how Zuko had insisted on becoming part of the war council and Iroh had agreed, as long as he remained silent. However, when one of the general suggested sending a platoon of new recruits to be sent in for the slaughter as a distraction whilst another division attacked the earth-kingdom city from the rear. The prince had made a protest, reminding the council on how loyal the soldiers were to their nation.

"Zuko was right, you see. But it was not his place to speak out. And there were... dire consequences." Suddenly, an image of Zuko's scarred face sprang up in Katara's mind. She pushed it away as she listened to the rest of Iroh's (and Zuko's) story. "After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge with the general was act of _complete disrespect_." Iroh spat the words out with a disgusted tone she had never heard him use as he clenched his right fist. "And there was only one way to resolve this..."

"Agni Kai," Jee breathed, staring into the fiery embers of the bonfire before them. He glanced to Katara's confused blue eyes then back to Iroh. "A fire duel."

"That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid but Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the general. Zuko had spoken out against the general's plan but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father!"

If they noticed Katara's gasp, they made no hint that they had done so.

"When Prince Zuko saw that it was his father that had come to duel him, he begged for mercy." After a pause, Iroh continued, "I looked away."

Jee gazed at his hands. "I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident." Boy, he felt pretty stupid.

Katara had never dwelled long on thoughts of the origins of the prince's scar. She supposed that she had never wanted to pity him, knowing that he was their enemy. "It was no accident," Iroh stated firmly. "After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment, he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honour."

"So that's why he's so obsessed," Katara whispered, not thinking the others could hear her, "Capturing Aang's the only chance he has for things to turn to normal."

"Things will never return to normal." He turned to look at Katara, a frown evident on his features, "But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope. He gives him a purpose."

The firebenders left in silence, leaving the lone waterbender to her own thoughts.

-

Katara awoke when water sloshed against her legs. Her eyes fluttered open groggily as she scanned her surroundings (searching for a large six-legged bison, a bald boy with arrows on his head, a furry lemur and an a certain sexist brother). It took her a while to remember recent events and even longer to notice the opportunity offering itself to her.

Pulling tightly against the ropes, she tried to free them just a bit so she could manipulate the water to continue pulling the binds off. Waving her hand animatedly, water rushed into her hand before she froze it, making an ice dagger. This made it easy for her to cut through the tough rope and she rubbed her sore wrists.

Water, water, water, Katara grinned as her fingers swirled in the transparent (and slightly grey) liquid. How she missed it so... No time for that though, she had to make her escape.

She used the ice dagger to pick the lock and cautiously made her way towards where she remembered the deck was, aware that this was a firebender ship. Luckily, she did not encounter any on her way as she discovered that they were all present on the deck. They were all far too distracted with the stormy weather (gosh, it really was bad) to notice the female dressed in blue make her way towards the life boats.

The water-tribe girl eyed the turbulent seas with a grimace but memories from the day before made her harden her resolve and begin untying one of the boats. She thought that she heard Prince Zuko's voice over the howling winds, but could not be sure. About to reach over and get into the boat, a sudden bolt of lightning cut the rope and the lifeboat descended into the sea without her, ripped into two separate pieces. However, her weight was not balanced and when someone touched her shoulder, she fell forward.

Just managing to keep a hold of the edge, which was very slippery, Katara looked up to the person that had spotted her with the lifeboat. Her eyes widened as she recognised the scar and remembered Iroh's tale. _Zuko_.

He offered his hand, "Here! Grab on!"

Fall to her death or put her life in the hands of a firebender? A firebender that had already shown his hostility towards her? Or a death that was full of her own element? Nevertheless, she tried to reach for his fingers. "Help me!" she called, "I'm slipping!" Zuko groped for her fingers but it was too late.

Katara was consumed by the raging waters beneath her.

-

After saving the helmsman from falling to his doom, Zuko had scouted the ship and noticed a figure dressed in blue untying one of the life boats. He instantly recognised the waterbender colours and jumped from the ladder, landing well despite the the slippery surface.

"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?"

At this precise moment a bolt of lightning zapped the rope holding the life boat and it crashed on the waves (how ironic, Zuko thought). He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped in shock, losing her balance. She teetered forwards precariously and began her plummet but at the last moment, gripped onto the ship's edge.

The prince offered his hand, yelling for her to grab it. She hesitated, and it was all it took for her hold to slip. She called out for help but that moment of apprehension had already wasted too much time. Her grip slackened.

She fell.

Zuko stared at the ocean for a long time. Iroh tried to tell him that it wasn't his fault; there was nothing he could have done, or could do now. He had saved one life out of two—it could have been worse. She was gone, and guilt or regret would not alter that fact. He allowed him to grieve, however; it was what Zuko needed.

After, he returned to his chambers and meditated. No one disturbed him, and no one mentioned the flying bison they had seen in the distance. Not one person did not mourn over the waterbender's death, nor make any comments when they noticed Zuko staring at something blue in his hand. When he finally did talk, he told his uncle that it was: "his fault" before once more slipping into silence.

A death was hard on anyone's conscience, Iroh told the crew. They'd have the old Zuko back soon.

-

Meanwhile, on the shore of Fire Nation territory, a certain southern water-tribe girl awoke and rubbed her eyes, wincing at the brightness of the shining sun. She groaned before slipping back into unconsciousness, not yet ready to be fully cognisant.

-

**Repost: Got mixed up with my north and my south. ((embarrassed))**


	5. Promotion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of **Book One: Water, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit. **

Aha! The Blue Spirit is introduced! I'm thinking of incorporating him as a major part of the story, but I don't know. All I can say is: girls can't resist mysterious guys ((wink)). I'm trying to make Katara seem more independent but since her waterbending skills and fighting techniques are quite basic, it's hard. And... back to Aang and Sokka! ((pinches their cheeks)) I bet you missed them!

This chapter was really hard to write. I had so many different ideas and scenarios buzzing in my head, so it was hard to choose the best one (and which way to go about it). This was one of my favourite episodes (if not _the _favourite) and I really don't want to ruin it! It will probably continue over two or three chapters.

It has a lot of changing scenes, instead of one block. It's to add suspense or something like that...

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part V: Promotion**

He hid on the rooftop as the Fire Nation colonel and commander below argued with attentive ears, listening to every word with interest and patience. The commander—the infamous Commander Zhao—was trying to '_borrow_' Colonel Shinu's highly-trained YuuYan archers for a special mission (to capture the Avatar, a so-called "vanity project" by the other officer) but he refused to give in.

Made up of nearly a dozen members, the YuuYan archers were legendary for their agility, precision and skill. They had the ability to pin a fly to a tree a hundred yards away without killing it. They worked well both as individual and as a team, each sharing the uniform and symbols painted on their faces and hands. They were quite a force, and no one had bested them as of yet. These archers were the bodyguards for the city and dissuaded any Earth Kingdom or even the occasional Water Tribe rebels from attacking.

There was, after all, a war going on and _every man _was necessary; it was a shame that Zhao did not understand this concept. The Fire Nation didn't have time for goose-chases or selfish schemes for promotions.

Just when it sounded like Commander Zhao had suffered defeat, a lone hawk with dark grey furthers landed on the balcony; a letter was tied to its thin leg. Zhao read the message before passing it to the other man with a superior smirk and a glint in his honey eyes. The red ribbon hawk squawked and flew away.

Commander Zhao (or should it be _Admiral _Zhao) was now of a higher rank than the other commander and his 'request' changed to an order. The other had no choice—his archers would fulfil Zhao's mission.

Cloaked in black, the mysterious eavesdropper blended in with the dark night. The blue and white mask was a strong contrast but guards would only dismiss it as a trick of the moonlit night. Anyway, he was far too stealthy to be noticed. And the guards were really that dumb.

The masked stranger—_the Blue Spirit_—disappeared in the blink of an eye.

-

"We haven't picked up the Avatar's trail since the storm," Lieutenant Jee stated the obvious as he and Zuko looked over a map of the local area. His finger moved across the page, indicating a route. "But, if we continue heading north-east, we—" His words were ceased by a large shadow passing over them. Looking out of the small windows, it became apparent that the cause of the shadow was a much larger boat sailing past.

"What do they want?" Zuko was already irritated by the fact that the other Fire Nation ship had managed to block out their sun for a brief moment. True, it was not a major offence but their presence alone made the prince feel uneasy. Indeed, what _did _they want?

Iroh was not brought down by Zuko's bitter tone. "Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Gow," he suggested whilst rubbing his hands. A challenge, how _thrilling_. Zuko scoffed and glared at the ship, already growing suspicious.

Zuko knew that it would be futile to try and stop the soldiers from the larger ship from boarding, so he gave no orders for the crew to resist them (however, he gave no orders to welcome them kindly either). He did not greet them, and they did not introduce themselves either. Instead, they held up a poster with a rather accurate picture of the Avatar, displaying '**WANTED**' clearly at the top. The young firebender scowled, crossing his arms.

"The hunt for the Avatar has been given prime importance. All information regarding the Avatar should be given directly to Admiral Zhao." The man holding the poster rolled it up and put it in his belt, standing to attention (In respect to Zuko? Not likely...).

The retired general moved one of his tiles and grinned—a good move, if he did say so himself. "Zhao has been promoted?" he chuckled, "Well! Good for him!" His opponent slapped his forehead; he knew he was going to lose. Being honest with himself, he realised that if you went up against the great Dragon of the West, you were bound to lose at a game of Pai Gow.

"I've got nothingto report to _Zhao_," Zuko hissed, making Zhao's name sound like a terrible disease. He had deliberately left out the 'Admiral', refusing to think that that... _monkey _was anything better than the dirt underneath his boots. "Now get off our ship and let us pass." Zuko's facial expression simply said: _Don't mess with me._

The man did not relent. "Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area," his tone was monotonous, and only managed to irk the prince further.

"_GET OFF MY SHIP!" _he yelled, pointing to the door. If he was the slightest bit angrier, flames may have appeared at the tip of his finger. The soldiers looked to their leader before complying, making their exit. Zuko took a deep breath, attempting to calm down.

"Excellent!" Iroh exclaimed, "I win again!" He pulled the winnings towards him and smiled cheerfully at his opponents' tired faces. "But you're all improving! I'm sure you'll win if we... play again?" If you had missed the sneaky look in Iroh's eye, you would have believed him to be a completely innocent and harmless old man.

This just proves that appearances can be deceiving.

-

_A coughing fit. "Aang! Ya know what?"_

_An exasperated sigh. "What, Sokka?"_

_A moment of silence. "You have great hair!"_

_More silence. "... Thanks, I guess."_

Aang scowled, winced and shuddered in disgust as he dug his hands through the swamp, searching for the frozen frogs that would cure his friend's sickness. After being caught in the storm with no shelter (Momo had clung to the underside of Appa), Sokka had caught a rather nasty cold—which was hastily becoming a fever.

By checking a Fire Nation map (his ego grew when he saw the wanted pictures of himself), he discovered that there was a greenhouse designed for medicinal purposes on a mountain only a short distance away. He had left Sokka in a cave with Appa and Momo and journeyed there himself but the old—crazy—lady had told him to search for 'frozen frogs' in this very swamp. Not only that, but he had ran into some Fire Nation soldiers—they had probably alerted others to his presence.

The water was brown, thick and full of questionable substances but he endured it for Sokka: his friend. He had already lost one—he wouldn't fail the last member of family he had left (except Appa and Momo).

Halting his search for a brief moment, Aang lamented over his lost friend. She was in Zuko's clutches; she was a prisoner of the Fire Nation. Was she okay? Did the firebenders hurt her? Was she still... (he gulped) alive?

She had to be, his mind reasoned; Katara was a great waterbender and far smarter than he or Sokka. She would have escaped by now, and be looking for them. They'd meet again.

Yep, he thought optimistically as he grabbed a frozen frog. Katara was on her way to him—themhe meant them!—right _now_.

Suddenly something thin and long—it looked like a sharp twig with strange red leaves—flew only an inch from Aang's ear (had he not jumped forward to grab a frozen frog, it would have hit him). He recognised it as an arrow. Picking it up, Aang turned to see some boys, or men, sitting in the trees with bows and arrows.

"Uh... I think you dropped this." Were they playing a game? He was tempted to ask if he could join, but he had to get these frogs to Sokka so he could suck on them and become better. They launched their arrows in his direction and the airbender just managed to dodge.

Maybe not.

-

By the way Zuko was fighting, Iroh could tell that his nephew was quite... agitated. His attacks were fast and relentless (this was good training) but you could tell that his aim—if he was even aiming—was completely off. He was merely training to relieve the tension, which he did many a time. Today, it seemed that he was particularly stressful. Iroh took a cautious step forward, mindful of the prince's fiery temper. "Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour, and you haven't given the men an order."

"I don't care what they do!" Zuko remarked as he glared at the floor.

"Don't give up hope yet," Iroh advised with a sage-like tone, "You can still find the Avatar before Zhao." Even if Zuko had not said anything, Iroh knew exactly what was wrong. Practically all of the time it was the Avatar and when it wasn't, he would still use the Avatar as an excuse.

Zuko spun to Iroh sharply. "How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources, it's only a matter of time before Zhao captures the Avatar."

And they both knew he was probably right; Zhao wasn't banished, and could go wherever he wanted. The admiral also had a whole fleet of ships much larger than Zuko's one. He turned to gaze at the broad ocean in front of them—the sun hidden behind thick clouds.

"My honour, my throne, my country... I'm about to lose them all."

-

Heat. It was smothering her, burning her. For a brief moment she feared that she was on fire, being roasted by the Fire Prince as he cackled insanely. Katara opened her eyes and realised her suspicions were...

Wrong.

She glared at the offending sun, frowning, before turning over, intent on burrowing into her sleeping bag of furs (_"Why couldn't Aang have chosen a shady place to rest?"_) before she came to the conclusion that she wasn't sleeping in her blue sleeping bag but instead, sand. Burning sand that was hot, hot, _hot_! Katara staggered to her feet and lifted a hand to shield her eyes, scanning the surroundings.

A shore. She thought that she could see boats in the distance but she wouldn't call for them—they were only big enough to be part of the Fire Nation—and instead looked to the forest.

The water-tribe girl could distinctly recognise the vegetation. These plants were adapted to high temperatures and by the burning sensation on her face, she guessed that this was the perfect place. Feeling stupid (why was she still standing there like an idiot?), she ran into the shady area of bushes and trees.

Despite being quite hot, the forest was... humid. Dew—or it could have been sweat—appeared on her skin, clammy and making her feel that much more uncomfortable. It definitely wasn't a country of the Water Tribe or the Air Nomads, which only left the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. Hoping it was the former, Katara ventured further into the thick foliage. There had to be a stream somewhere, and whilst she drank she could come up with a plan of some sort. Maybe she would meet some Earth Kingdom rebels.

A little voice in her mind taunted that it was far too hot to be part of the Earth Kingdom, but she completely ignored it; oblivious to the logic.

Soon she came across a clearing. Noticing the Fire Nation banners and the soldiers in black and red armour, Katara instantly concealed herself behind a thick tree trunk. She didn't risk looking but instead trained her ears to listen to their conversation. Maybe she could figure out where she was—Fire Nation troops occupied a lot of the Earth Kingdom andthe Fire Nation territory was obviously their home.

What country had she washed up upon? She could recall most events leading up to it, but when she was on the deck, the images became sketchy. She remembered... the water, and the terrible weather (_lightning?_).

Katara also knew that Zuko was there but that was when it became even more blurred. In one scenario, she saw him extending his hand, trying to save her from her impending death. But in the other, she saw him pushing her off the boat into the tumultuous waves below. If she were to use his previous behavioural patterns, she would have guessed that it was the latter but was _anyone _that cruel?

"Did ya hear?" Katara shook her head, focusing on the soldiers' words.

"About the Avatar's capture?" he laughed, whilst the waterbender attempted to stifle her gasp. Aang... had been captured? Zuko had finally accomplished his seemingly impossible mission. She should have been there! She might have been able to stop Zuko or at least distract him whilst Aang made his escape. Being his sister, her mind then centred on thoughts of Sokka. Was he alive? Had he also been captured? "Yeah. Great news for Zhao, eh?" Zhao? Who was he? A Fire Nation leader, or something?

"Yep. Prince Zuko ain't gonna be pleased. That Avatar's the only ticket of his banishment being lifted." Katara had already heard this story—but it still wasn't going to change her opinion of Zuko. Just because his father told him to jump off a cliff, it didn't meant that he should.

_Then again, he has lost his home; his country. How would you feel if you were unwanted? If your own father rejected you?_

It didn't change the fact that capturing Aang was wrong. The Fire Nation was still wrong to try and mess with the balance of their world. The airbenders were gone and if the war continued, even waterbenders could be facing extinction. The South Pole was practically desolate and she had no idea if the North Pole was still intact. The small glimmer of hope within her wished that it was.

"So where is he being kept?"

"Not that far away. Hon-Sei—that's the nearest city, I think. Hey, maybe we should go there to see Zhao's speech. It's bound to be a memorable event."

"With plenty of drink."

He laughed, "Hear, hear!"

Katara remained silent and in position until the moon had appeared, and many of the soldiers were asleep (the rest were in a drunken stupor). She sneaked over to the edge of the camp where a soldier's spare uniform lay. She took one piece at a time and made a pile quite a way from the camp to leave the outfit.

She was going to rescue Aang. This would be her disguise.

The breastplate was deceivingly heavy and she dropped it a short moment after she picked it up. It made a cluttering noise. Not even wasting time in hesitation, Katara snatched the armour and ran into the forest, ignoring the soldiers' drunken protests behind her. They were far too drunk to chase her, and wouldn't remember anything when they became sober.

-


	6. Pretend

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of **Book One: Water, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit. **(Second part)

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part VI: Pretend**

Aang struggled against the chains with a strong determination. He had been captured by those archers in the forest, and now was probably in a Fire Nation stronghold. It wasn't the fact that he had been caught that irked him—it was the fact that Sokka was left in that cave all on his own (barring Momo and Appa), ill and helpless. What would happen if he got really bad? He had been delusional when Aang left, what would he be like now?

He had so much to do, and so little time. Couldn't the Fire Nation see that Aang couldn't afford to waste time as their prisoner? He needed to save the world, restore balance, help Sokka and save Katara all before the comet arrived! The world would collapse without balance, but the Fire Nation were too self-absorbed to notice the state that their home was falling into.

The door opened with a loud creak, and in stepped a man with large sideburns. A smug smirk was placed on his features. Never before had Aang had the urge to hit someone, but now... he _really _did. "So _this _is the 'Great Avatar', Master of all the Elements." His tone was condescending, making Aang growl. "I don't know how you managed to elude the Fire Nation for a hundred years, but your little game of Hide-and-Seek is over."

"I've never hidden from you!" Aang was not a coward, and never would have abandoned the people of this world if he knew what would spark from him running away from the temple. "Untie me and I'll fight you right now!" They'd see who the coward was here.

"Uh... no." He grinned, "Tell me: how does it feel to be the only airbender left?" The man leant forward, his face mere inches from Aang's. The boy refused to let the comment get to him. "Do you miss your people?" ...That hurt. It really, really stung.

He hung his head in shame, knowing that the Fire Nation troop had succeeded in tormenting him.

"Oh, don't worry," his voice was sickeningly sweet, "You won't be killed like they were."

Instantly, his head whipped up as he pulled the chains. How dare he speak of his friends—his _family—_in such a way! When he got free of his binds, he would teach this Fire Nation monkey a thing or two.

"You see," he explained as he stepped away, "If you die, you'll just be reborn and the Fire Nation will have to begin its search for the Avatar all over again. So I'll keep you alive..." Aang was slightly relieved—he couldn't very well save the world if he was dead, right?

The officer seemed to notice Aang's relief and smirked.

"...But just barely."

Fed up with this scum's mind games, Aang inhaled deeply before blowing out a strong gust of air. The man was pushed into the wall and slid to the floor with a grunt. He pushed himself up whilst rubbing his head. _Good_, Aang thought, _I hope I leave a bruise, a bump or even a permanent scar. _It would serve him right—the heartless fiend! The older male matched the airbender's glare.

"Blow all you want! Your situation is futile. There is no escaping this fortress. And _no one _is coming to rescue you." He slammed the door after him, leaving the bald monk on his own in the silence.

Aang hung his head in defeat. Sokka was unwell, Katara was missing and Appa and Momo were looking after Sokka. Much as the airbender hated to admit it, the Fire Nation officer was right.

No one was coming to rescue him.

-

Donning the Fire Nation armour, Katara realised how stupid she really looked. She was far too short and the vest that was meant to go under the breastplate and stop at her waist went down to her knees, meaning that she had to tuck it awkwardly down the pants. The dark armour was heavy, and made her movements slow and sluggish. She could barely stand—how on earth was she going to sneak into the prisons and save Aang?

Luckily, the armour had included a helmet with a face plate. Maybe she could pass off as a very short firebender who was a bit drunk. Yeah, that should work. Most of them there would be drunk anyway.

All she had to do was sneak into a city full of Fire Nation troop, rescue Aang and escape without being caught by the thousands that probably occupied the town. Piece of cake, right?

_Or not_, she thought as she nearly tripped over. These boots were also too big for her and she could hardly walk with them on. Taking them off—_stupid clown-feet firebenders_—she decided to stick with her own shoes. People wouldn't necessarily look at her feet anyway, and it wasn't like they stuck out and screamed: _**"Waterbender in firebender's clothing!"**_

At least, she hoped they didn't.

Soon she arrived at the path to the city (it was dark now, which was good since they couldn't see her clearly—however, she couldn't see very well either) and joined a group of troops on their way to the gate. A few turned to look at her when she started walking beside them, but no one said anything. Once she was past the gate and inside the city, she took note of her surroundings.

They would probably keep Aang in a place with high-security. There would be guards, high walls and maybe even be quite tall. The problem was that there were three buildings that were towers and had guards—so which one contained Aang?

The Avatar must have been favouring her (well... duh), for she managed to eavesdrop on a nearby conversation. They happened to be discussing the building where Aang was being kept, and the "YuuYan Archers" that were protecting the city walls. Apparently, Zhao didn't expect anyone to show up but it was just a precaution. They had heard rumours about Water Tribe accomplices (obviously Katara and Sokka, although they didn't know that).

"The Avatar's being kept in the Secondary Tower—you know, the one in the eastern area—under Admiral Zhao's watch. It's pretty tight security for someone like the Admiral; I didn't expect him to be so paranoid."

"But I hear that the prince isn't pleased with Admiral Zhao's plan. And if he hears that he actually has the Avatar, he'll be quite desperate. Desperate enough to sneak in the city, and take the Avatar." He then laughed out loud, "But who am I kidding? Zuko is too hot-tempered to be sneaky! He'll probably just burst in and try to take down a whole _army _with his firebending. Heh, yeah right!"

Putting a hand to his chin in thought, the other guard spoke: "But I heard that a few weeks ago, Prince Zuko challenged Admiral Zhao in an Agni Kai and _won_."

"Bah!" his friend scoffed, "That's just one firebender. What is His _Highness_ going to do against two thousand?"

"So everyone is present tonight?"

"Of course—the Avatar has been captured. Come on, we better go if we don't want to miss Admiral Zhao's celebratory speech."

The prospect of two thousand firebenders in this city made Katara grimace behind the face-plate. What if it went wrong? What if... No. She could do this; she would save Aang, and get them as far away from here as possible. She marched over to the tower that she guessed was in the east (she was sure that the sun had set in the opposite direction), and tipped her head slightly when she passed the guards. Luckily, they did not protest to her entry but did call out a question. "What is your purpose, soldier?"

Using her deepest voice, Katara tried her best to sound like a man. "I am here to replace one of the guards. He's... far too drunk to be on duty." The guard nodded, accepting her fake excuse. She grinned, happy for the mask covering her features.

Right, now all she had to do was find where Aang was being kept prisoner.

-

The Blue Spirit watched as drunken soldiers entering the city through the gate. Such incompetent troops they were—they were making his task easy. However, he would have to be wary of the few sober guards positioned around—not to mention the YuuYan Archers. He observed the many guards making their way in and it seemed that none were leaving the city. Yes, he had heard of Zhao's success in capturing the legendary Avatar and his mission was to retrieve the boy without making too much of a show.

Very important since the last thing the masked man needed was two thousand firebenders hot on his tail (literally).

Soon an opportunity offered itself on a silver platter. A supply cart was passing him (positioned in a hiding place in the thick hedge of bushes) and was obviously going to be provided access to the fortress.

Moving quickly yet silently, the Blue Spirit ran alongside the carriage being pulled by a snorting Komodo Rhino. He matched its pace for a while before diving in between the wheels and grabbing onto the bottom of the cart with a firm and strong grip (he would not appreciate falling off and alerting the firebenders to his presence). Making sure to stay still when the carriage stopped—it was probably just before the gate—and remain quiet, he heard one of the guards give the: "All Clear". The sober men really _were _as dense as the drunk ones.

The guard walked around the cart before pausing. Had he just... seen something? He lowered his torch so the flames illuminated the underside of the contraption, but there was nothing there. He must have imagined it, or so he told himself. "All clear," he repeated once more, "Go on in."

Laughing as quietly as humanly possible, the Blue Spirit sat in the actual carriage. Well, maybe they were a little bit smarter—but not that much. As far as he was concerned, they were still idiots to be working for a man such as Zhao.

Entering the city and a special area of land for carts and other supplies, the Komodo Rhino came to a stop. The Blue Spirit ran out of the back and into a narrow, dark corridor (staying close to the ground).

No one noticed him.

Another opportunity arose as the Blue Spirit made his way across a balcony. The two guards (that were supposed to intercept him) were busy listening to Zhao's speech and therefore were not paying attention to him walking past. Despite this diversion, he made sure to remain quick yet quiet. If all two thousand firebenders were in the city, it would be quite a feat to get out with the Avatar.

When planning this before, he had always used the sewer system as a way to the centre tower (the only building that possessed a prison thus where the Avatar was being held) but with Zhao's speech still going on, he was tempted to just go directly. No, the Blue Spirit instructed himself; he had to follow the plan through. Besides, this particular sewer line led to a secret entrance that not many knew about.

Now he was in the tower, and that one step closer to getting the Avatar free from Zhao's clutches. He would have enjoyed to be around to see Zhao's face when he discovered that his newly acquired prisoner was missing, but getting the Avatar out and returning to where he belonged was the highest on his list of priorities.

The Blue Spirit nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the loud, heavy clatter from around the corner. Approaching the corner cautiously and taking out his weapons (a pair of broadswords), he was certain that it was just a drunken guard that had got lost or something. As he rounded into the next corridor, he saw an armoured soldier—also wearing the face-plate—sitting on the floor as if dazed, rubbing his head.

Noticing him, the guard stood; or at least, _tried _to stand up. He only managed to fall on the floor again (the armour must have been too heavy for him). He realised that even though the soldier was in full armour, he was wearing worn shoes that did not suit the Fire Nation's fashions.

He moved closer to the drunk, wielding his swords threateningly. The soldier seemed to utter a high-pitched... _shriek_? Since when did members of the Fire Nation _shriek_? He backed off slightly, gazing at the creature before him in confusion and disgust. Sheathing one of his weapons, the Blue Spirit lifted the soldier with one hand and managing to lift him off the ground.

This _thing _was far too short to be a fully grown man, and they would never allow midgets to join the Fire Nation army. His armour was ridiculously large; if they had permitted him to join, he would have had a custom-made uniform.

This was an impostor. Using the sword in his other hand, he used the butt of it to crack his face-plate.

Suddenly, his—or rather, _her—_features came into view and were somehow familiar. Brown hair, dark skin and blue eyes all struck a chord in his mind. With wide eyes, the Blue Spirit dropped the female—the water-bending girl!—and took a step back in shock. No way, he was sure that she had...

Putting a hand over her cheek (part of the face-plate had managed to make quite a deep gash in her cheek), Katara's hand returned back to her line of sight with blood on her fingertips. She couldn't believe it! She had been caught, all because of this stupid firebender armour. It was far too heavy for her to move around easily and as a result she had alerted this masked man to her presence. Speaking of which, who was he?

She looked up and saw that he was not dressed as a firebender or any other member of the Fire Nation was. If she had to choose any nation, she would have said that the blue and white mask related to the Water Tribes. However, they rarely wore black although their warrior's uniform used some black with grey. Maybe he was a Water Tribe soldier, here to rebel against the Fire Nation.

But she couldn't just jump to conclusions—he could have been a firebender in disguise, just as she had been (although she didn't see the point of him wearing other clothes in a Fire Nation city).

"Wh-Who are you?" she asked inquisitively whilst making an attempt to see through the holes in his mask. That is, if this masked stranger was a 'he'. Looking at the black suit tightly fitting his toned body, a faint blush appeared across her cheeks. Yes, his 'figure' was undeniably male.

He stared at her for a moment before whipping his head to the side, hearing someone's footsteps approaching from the corridor he had previously been in. Spying a convenient hidden alcove behind a Fire Nation tapestry, he grabbed the girl and pushed her into the alcove. They couldn't both fit with the firebender armour she was wearing. With dexterous hands, he removed the armour (putting it on the floor silently) and pushed her against the wall, placing a hand over her mouth just in case.

Her cheeks reddened even more at their close proximity, the way she could _feel _his hot breath on the side of her neck and how his body was completely covering hers. Her hands were placed upon his muscled chest; she could feel the pectoral muscles tense when they both heard the footsteps moving from behind the curtain.

How had she gotten herself into _this_ situation?

-


	7. Prison Break

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of **Book One: Water, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit. **(Third part)

Whoa. This episode's going on for a long time, huh?

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke.. had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part VII: Prison Break**

An infinity seemed to pass before the sounds of footsteps faded and the masked stranger backed away (although his gloved hand was still over Katara's mouth). He remained still, listening for another guard to pass but it seemed that none were in the vicinity. Her mouth was finally released. The waterbender was about to sigh in relief but the sigh became a yelp when he gripped onto her wrist and dragged her out of the alcove and down the corridor.

They weaved their ways through the corridors—this guy seemed to know a lot about the layout of the tower; perhaps he had researched it before his arrival. A sudden thought sprang to mind—what was he doing there? Was he simply trying to assassinate some of the higher-ups, or was he also there for the Avatar?

Katara's hand instinctively moved to her water flask, just in case. "What are you—" her voice was too high-pitched for her liking and cracked. She put on (what she hoped was) a more confident tone. "What is your mission?"

He turned to her but only made a hushing gesture by putting his index finger to where his lips would be.

Yanking her hand out of his tight—and familiarly warm—grip, she took off the cork to her canteen. "Don't tell me what to do!" she hissed, "Who do you think you are? You have no right just to barge in. You took off my mask, I think it's only fair if I take off yours!" And with that, the water whip she had managed to hit Jet with all those days ago escaped the water bottle and made its way to the stranger's mask.

However, he moved his head to the side and dodged it easily. Holding both of her wrists and pulling her towards him, she knew that behind the dark holes, his eyes would be glaring at her intensely... Sizing up his prey...

Had she thought about their stances more, she would have related it to the way Prince Zuko had held onto her wrists when she had been captured by him and the pirates. "Let me go!" she ordered, even though she was hardly in a position to do so.

"What do you think you're doing? Unhand me!" He let go of one wrist and put a hand over her mouth. _Did she ever shut up?_

Resorting to her childish ways (Sokka was to blame, really), she stuck out her tongue and poked at the thin black material of the glove. The moisture from the appendage seeped through the fabric and onto the Blue Spirit's skin.

It may have been unnecessary, immature and just down-right _'EWWW!'_ but it received its desired effect as he quickly withdrew his hand and stepped away, wiping his hand on his thigh in disgust. He had always thought that people from the Water Tribes were ill-mannered and uncivilised but he had never thought they would have been so uncouth as to _lick his hand_!

"Serves you right for thinking so highly of yourself," she remarked as she poked her tongue out; sticking with the childish theme. Growing very agitated with the creature before him, the Blue Spirit tried to breathe deeply. "Now how about you tell me your name and _why you're here_!"

He could hear guards' voices, and knew that her shrill, incessant questions and whining had alerted the soldiers—great. The Blue Spirit made a 'zipping' motion over his mouth and tried to drag her back down the corridor where they had come but she refused to budge, folding her arms.

"I told you that you can't order me about! I'm not your slave, and you're not my master. Honestly! Who do you think—"

That's it. He'd had enough. He had rescued her from certain capture, helped her hide, taken her with him to get the Avatar, and he had probably saved her life. And yet when he asked her to do one thing (_shut the hell up!_), she couldn't even attempt the simple task. Sure, he hadn't used words but she definitely understood him, as it made her go into another rant.

Within seconds, the water peasant was in the Blue Spirit's arms, unconscious. Who knew that all it took was a simple chop to the neck to get her to be silent? He would certainly make a note of this for future reference. But still—it would be quite awkward to drag her around. Stealth was a key factor in this 'operation'. Running back to the alcove, he hid her behind the Fire Nation tapestry. He'd go get the Avatar then come back for the girl. Hopefully she'd be a good little unconscious peasant and _stay there_.

No, he didn't think that she'd be there long at all.

-

Aang had been struggling against the chains for so long that his arms were beginning to tire. He ceased for a moment, catching his breath before he felt something wriggle underneath his clothes. It was slimy and made the Avatar cringe, before he realised that they were the frogs. He gasped, knowing they were the only chance to help Sokka get better.

"No, frogs!" he exclaimed, "My friend is sick and he needs you! Please go back to being frozen!" The psychotic herbalist had told him to not let them thaw out, for then their healing properties would disappear. If Sokka didn't get better, he _would _be all on his own again.

He pulled harder against the binds, but they did not budge and the frogs continued to crawl out, '_ribbit_'-ing as they did.

A few moments later, Aang heard strange crashes and booms outside. They did not last long, and once again silence returned. That is, until the door opened and a masked figure stepped into the room. The blue and white mask stared at him, dark holes for eyes peering into his very soul. It made Aang want to cower, and yet the stranger continued to stare. Quickly unsheathing two swords, he swung the weapons threateningly, gaining momentum and losing the distance between him and the 112-year old.

Understandably, he screamed as the sword-wielding _thing _approached. The Avatar closed his eyes, preparing himself for the fatal blow...

...that never came. He looked down and saw that the swordsman had sliced away his chains with ease. He looked up to the mysterious person in unhidden awe—who was he, or even she?

Whoever it was, they then removed the binds around his wrists and ankles and walked back over to the exit.

"Who are you?" he questioned, "What's going on? Are you here to rescue me?" He opened the door and pointed his sword down the corridor, as if motioning for him to follow. "I'll take that as a yes," Aang stated as he exited his prison.

He passed a guard that was tied up on the floor with a white piece of fabric as a gag. This man certainly was quite an opponent if he could take down firebenders without his own bending traits. He seemed pretty impressive with those broadswords, and Aang wondered what other weapons he had trained with. He must have been part of some resistance to the Fire Nation's rule, and they would have been well-informed if they knew that not only was the Avatar alive, but a prisoner of the Fire Nation.

Walking past another room, he noticed a dark green thing crawling on the floor. "My frogs!" he called as he bent down to retrieve them, "Come back! And stop thawing out!"

Suddenly the masked warrior grabbed him by his robes and dragged him away.

"Wait! My friend needs to suck on those frogs!" he yelled desperately.

-

_Typical, _the Blue Spirit remarked mentally as his eyes fell upon the empty space occupying the alcove._ Absolutely typical! _

After abandoning the unconscious girl, he had gone to the prison where he knew that Admiral Zhao would keep the Avatar. Silently, he had dealt with the four guards defending the doors and had broken the metal binds holding the young boy. He gestured for the Avatar to follow him and had returned to the same corridor where he had left the weak waterbender (after the Avatar had been distracted by some frogs, of all things). Just as he had predicted, the idiot was gone.

The Avatar peered over his shoulder, "What are you looking for? Have you lost something? Shouldn't we be getting out of here?"

Great. He had gotten rid of one chatterbox and had ended up with another one. It must have been what younger children (even though the Avatar was well over a hundred) did. He made another hushing motion before running down the corridor. Why did he give a damn anyway? The stupid girl should have just stayed where she was.

He scoffed to himself. The little brat was probably trying to sneak around, thinking that she was the master of stealth. Actually, she would have probably bumped into some guards by now. Then again, that made it even worse for him. If the guards had found her, they would probably take her directly to Zhao. He might have alerted the soldiers, enforcing the defences.

An unbidden scenario passed through his thoughts, taunting him. If the water peasant _had _been taken to Zhao, what would become of her? Would she be killed for invading Fire Nation territory? Tortured for information on the Avatar, or even on him? Other possibilities came to mind but he completely ignored them. Surely they would not violate a little girl—a child. She couldn't be older than twelve, right? Maybe even thirteen, but she didn't look that old (and she wasn't that mature, either).

_But what if he does? It's your fault. You left her there. You knocked her unconscious. You knew she wouldn't stay there._

Tugging on the Avatar's wrist, the Blue Spirit ran down the corridor. He didn't care about the little waterbender. It was her own fault for coming here—she should know that she wasn't strong enough to withstand an army of firebenders, or sneaky enough to infiltrate the fortress and escape.

At least she had loyalty, which was something he admired. She had come this way to save her friend, and had not revealed anything to him when he had... _requested _the information from her.

Enough of this! He had to focus on getting the Avatar out of here, before going through with the second phase of his plan. Going back out using the sewers was the safest option. The system ran from under the tower all the way to the gate leading out of the fortress and the grey water only reached his ankles. It would be a relatively easy task, as long as the Avatar did not screw it up. That, of course, was another of his predictions.

Finally they reached the gate. He pointed upwards, telling the Avatar that they would need to remove the drain cover and sneak about on the surface for the rest of the way. He went first, and the boy followed swiftly after.

-

"I want a full transcription of my speech sent to the Fire Lord, along with testimonials from _all _of the ranking officers present and—" Zhao turned to see three of the four soldiers assigned to guard the Avatar's prison hanging upside-down by their feet.

His eyes narrowed and his eyebrow twitched before he charged down the corridor towards where the Avatar was _supposed _to be being kept. He passed another incapacitated guard on the way.

And the Avatar's cell was empty, apart from a small, green frog.

"Sir! Should I hold off sending that speech to the Fire Lord?"

Oh, Zhao growled to himself. Heads were going to roll.

-

They were half-way up the first wall of the fortress when the alarm bells rang.

_Quick, quick, _the Blue Spirit thought, _all we have to do is get over two more walls. Hurry up, Avatar! _He pushed him forward, and ignored the soldiers' calls as they alerted each other to the escapee and his accomplice's whereabouts. However, the troop at the top of the wall decided to cut the rope so they fell towards the ground. Luckily, the Avatar used his airbending skills to soften their descent.

Unsheathing his broadswords, the masked male gestured to the closest gate and made a run for it. He could hear Zhao's words, informing the guards that the Avatar had escaped and ordering them all to close the gates immediately.

"Stay close to me," the Avatar urged and rushed ahead. Well, it was okay for him, using the air currents to help him run faster! He did appreciate the boy's airbending skills, as he managed to move over a dozen soldiers out of the way. It was still not enough, however, as they quickly recovered and attacked the Blue Spirit. He managed to block their blows, but was unable to run towards the gate that was steadily closing.

Far too many, his judgement told him. There were far too many around him, and more were coming by the second. Catching a glimpse of the Air Nomad's yellow and orange robes, he jumped in the air as two sharp gusts of winds blew the troops away.

Grunting, the Avatar managed to use a strong air current to lift him into the air and onto the wall. The Blue Spirit rolled to his feet and parried the guards' attacks. A split second later, the young monk flew above him, wrapping his legs under the warrior's armpits and bring him with him.

At first it seemed that they would make it. The Blue Spirit was using his broadswords to deflect the spears, arrows and other projectiles and the third and final wall was getting closer and closer, and yet the Avatar was tired from struggling against his chains and they dropped. The airbender tried to grab the wall but his arms were too exhausted and faltered. The Blue Spirit attempted to grip the wall but also slipped and both fell to the wrong side of the wall.

A row of firebenders had gathered, all preparing a blast of fire. The swordsman stood in front of the Avatar, protecting him (but knowing fully well that he would be unable to block a firebending attack using just broadswords). Sure enough, the attack came but the young boy managed to use a airbending technique to save them from being burned to a crisp. How long he could keep it up, though?

"Hold your fire!" A familiar voice ordered—Zhao. "There is something—or rather _someone—_I want them to see."

A young girl was pushed forward with dark hair and crystal blue eyes, being handled roughly by a trained firebender. The blood from the cut when her face plate had smashed had dried, leaving a red, crusty trail.

"A friend of yours?" First he thought that he was talking to the Avatar, until he realised that his gold, calculating eyes were centred on his mask. Zhao must have thought that they were in this together. It made sense, due to the fact that blue was a Water Tribe colour (that they were both wearing). A small blade and materialized in Zhao's hands, edging closer to the water peasant's throat.

The Blue Spirit's hands tensed.

_Youleftheryouleftheryoushouldhavekeptherwithyounowshe'sgoingtodieandit'sallyourfaultyoufailedherthefirsttimeandnowyouhadachancebutyouscreweditupagainit'sallyourfaultyoupracticallykilledheryoufailedyoufailuresuchafailure—_

His gaze flickered to the bald monk, already formulating a plan.

"Kata—" The Avatar gasped as he felt the cool metal of the Blue Spirit's broadsword against his skin. He had to stop the little kid from doing something very stupid such as trading himself for the water brat. But to Zhao, the Blue Spirit's threat was clear—harm a hair on her head and you'll have to wait for the next Avatar. Of course, the Blue Spirit would not kill the Avatar; he was needed for much more important things.

Her blue eyes widened as she observed who she thought was an ally threaten her best friend. "Calm down," Zhao instructed as he tightened his grip on the girl. "I'm sure we can come to a compromise." The Blue Spirit nodded towards the gate, indicating that he wanted it opened. After a stare-off, the admiral surrendered. "Open the gate," he growled out to his officers.

"Admiral, what are you doing?" Colonel Shinu inquired in disbelief.

"Let them out... _now_!" Admiral Zhao ordered. The Blue Spirit heard the metallic groan of the heavy doors as they slowly eased apart. He cautiously backed away, still holding the Avatar in a death-grip.

The girl was still being held in Zhao's merciless hands, and staring at them. He hated the look contained deep within those watery orbs—they screamed of vulnerability and... _betrayal_. He had made no promises, so why did he feel guilty? He was her enemy, even if he was disguised as someone else. The Blue Spirit valued the Avatar's life above hers, and his _'honour' _above that.

Don't stop, his reasoning instructed him, go on while you have the chance.

And yet nothing could stop him from gesturing out with one hand for the girl to be released.

-


	8. Ping!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This would take place instead of **Book One: Water, Chapter Thirteen: The Blue Spirit. **(Fourth part)

Thanks for waiting! My exams have finished (_alleluia!_) and I'm back to regularly updating this story. And, we have beaten the 100-reviews mark! Thanks for your continued support and keep it coming! ((Is such a review-junkie))

Ugh, I got all Darwin-y at the end (revising for your science exams can do that to you). Cookies if you can spot it.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part VIII: Ping!**

Admiral Zhao snickered coldly (reflecting his personality), as he understood the Blue Spirit's request. "Me? Free her? Whilst you have the Avatar?" he smirked, "I don't think so. Decide, masked warrior: the girl, or the Avatar."

The sword to the Avatar's neck moved slightly, scaring the admiral. It would be necessary in order for Zhao to learn that he was not in any position to make a deal. The Blue Spirit was in control now—it was his game. He motioned again with his other sword for the water peasant to be released. The officer growled, and another staring match ensued until the Blue Spirit was the victor once again.

Stumbling forward, the girl put a hand to her neck, wiping away the warm blood that was beginning to pool in the hollow of her throat. Waving his sword, the water peasant got the hint and stood behind him, backing away.

He almost said a taunting comment in order to infuriate Zhao more... _almost_. But revealing his identity would surely mean death, or perhaps a lifetime of imprisonment. Both did not appeal to the Blue Spirit. And yet, the soldier was far too calm about this. He was giving up too quickly. Surely he had another trick up his sleeve, somewhere, somehow at some point. Admiral Zhao would fight to the death to get into the Fire Lord's good books.

Soon they were out of the gate, and out of the Fire Nation fortress. His eyes continued to flicker back and forth, looking for anything that might hinder their escape. This was far too easy, especially when dealing with someone such as Zhao therefore far more suspicious.

The forest was a few yards away—they just might be able to reach it in time.

He was successful. The Avatar was in his hands, and he would finally be able to fulfil his mission. He would be able to regain the things that he craved the most and go down in history. The fame didn't appeal to him, but the honour that accompanied it sure did.

He would be able to—

_Ping!_

Darkness for the Blue Spirit.

-

Aang gasped as he felt the broadsword to his neck fall to the floor. He spun to look at his rescuer-and-captor to find him sprawled on top of Katara, unconscious. The water-tribe girl carefully rolled him off her then glanced to Aang. He smiled, glad to see her again, but she was biting her lip, trying to shake the swordsman awake. When she saw that he would not be cognisant for a while, her hands tentatively travelled to his mask, lifting it up...

"No," Aang hissed urgently before she had a chance to reveal anything but his chin, "We haven't got time, Katara." He glanced back to the gates of the fortress and spotted the Fire Nation troops charging forwards. "Let's get him out of here."

She nodded once and put the mask back on securely. After making a dust cloud surround them, the Avatar picked up the black-clad stranger and dragged him into the forest with Katara keeping an eye out for any stray soldiers.

-

The Blue Spirit awoke with a groan. His eyes fluttered open slowly and could see tall trees but the holes in his mask did not allow much field vision. Realising that yes, he had been unconscious (how long, he did not know), he quickly sat up only to put a hand to his head as sharp pain assaulted his cranium. Wondering where he was, he continued to look around and came to the conclusion that he was in a forest (Fire Nation foliage, mostly—he must be near Fire Nation territory).

"Oh, you're awake!"

He turned to the side and saw the waterbending girl sitting on a rock nearby. The wound to her cheek had been cleaned, as had the one on her neck. He shakily got to his feet—had they discovered who he was?

"Don't worry; we didn't want to invade your privacy so we didn't remove your mask." _Even though I wanted to_, her mind added with a sigh. "Although, it would be nice if I knew who our ally was."

The Blue Spirit sneered and checked that he had both of his broadswords with him. Where was the Avatar?

She must have been able to read minds. "Aang—the Avatar—has gone to get my brother, Sokka and give him some medicine. He said that he got caught in a storm and was really ill and kinda delirious. If you ask me, I reckon that's just average Sokka." She giggled at her own joke, and he realised that she was making small-talk. Suppressing another scoff, he rubbed his hands together and continued to walk about, ready to firebend when the Avatar returned.

Suddenly stumbling on an inconvenient rock, he tripped forward but managed to save himself just in time. He still felt groggy, perhaps he had a concussion.

"Careful," she advised in the same tone that a certain uncle of his used, "You don't want to injure yourself any further. I…I—I was wondering," the peasant stuttered, "Were you just being secretive or are you a mute?"

He didn't answer; did she really expect him to?

"Oh well, I guess I'll never know. I just... wanted to thank you for saving Aang... and me from those Fire Nation soldiers. I don't really agree with your tactics—I didn't appreciate being knocked out—but you saved us, so I'm grateful. I dread to think what would have happened to me if I had stayed. Ever since my mother was killed by firebenders, and my father went away to The War, I've always been... _terrified _of them. Just a few days ago, I was captured by Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation—"

Irony or what? The Blue Spirit grinned behind his mask.

"—and I was trying my absolute hardest to not appear afraid. My brother always tells me that they're like animals. If they think you're afraid, it just makes them happier. But when we had an argument, he lost control and... I should have known how dangerous they were, I guess. Have you ever seen Prince Zuko?" The Blue Spirit nodded, why not? "Well, when I first saw his scar, I was scared of him—it gives off that aura of danger, you know?"

He smirked.

"But really, I pitied him."

The smirk became a scowl.

"And when I was on his ship being held captive, his uncle told me about how he got it and I felt even _sorrier_ for him. Did you know that it was his father that did that? Scarred his son? He's my enemy, and sometimes I think that he _deserved _it."

She exhaled loudly, and suddenly the Blue Spirit didn't want to hear any more.

"But then, does anyone deserve that? He was doing the right thing. He spoke out against a heinous Fire Nation plan, but... what he's become now, just reflects his disfigurement. Sometimes I get the feeling he's a good person—he saved a whole village from annihilation—but then he just contradicts himself by threatening to destroy an innocent town in order to capture the Avatar so he can return home. But you know what? After hearing so many stories about the Fire Lord, I don't think that he'll _ever _welcome Zuko back… Avatar or no Avatar."

He definitely didn't want to hear any more of her twisting, bruising words that poked at his ego, at his confidence. Walking away, he was surprised by a soft yet firm grip on his arm. The Blue Spirit turned to see the water peasant smiling at him with eyes full of life.

"I'm sorry. You've probably had your own run-ins with the Fire Nation. Memories... we all have such painful memories. But don't worry; you don't have to talk about it. People deal with it differently. You must be like my brother, Sokka. He hardly ever mentions it, and if he does, he's always angry…" she rambled on, "So what do you want to do until Aang gets back?"

_Burn you to a crisp. _The Blue Spirit shrugged half-heartedly.

They lapsed into uncomfortable quiet (she had returned to sit on the rock and he still had his back to her). A few minutes later, he heard the crack of a twig behind him and spun only to find himself a few inches from the girl. Her cheeks reddened, as her gaze lowered to the floor. "I...I—I'm sorry. I was just... never mind."

Why wasn't she moving away? Her hands moved up to his metal mask, admiring the handiwork.

"This mask... is it from the Water Tribes? Blue and white are our traditional colours, so it makes sense. We never really had masks in the South Pole so I guess it must be from the Northern Water Tribe." Her azure eyes suddenly brightened, "Are you from the North Pole?"

He grabbed her hand and lowered it from his mask before shaking his head.

"Oh." She seemed to be dejected with that discovery. What a pity. "It's just that we're making our way to the Northern Water Tribe to find a waterbending master to teach Aang, and hopefully me too." Again, the awkward silence returned. The girl realised how close they were and stepped back, a faint blush across her cheeks. Why was she blushing? This little peasant really confused him, and only made his headache that much worse. The Blue Spirit was more than glad when the Avatar returned (with a lemur on his shoulder?). The other water peasant walked with him, a sceptic look on his face. Nevertheless, he rushed over to his sister.

"Katara!" he exclaimed, "You're okay!"

She nodded, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "Sokka, I missed you so much!"

A sibling reunion. How sweet. The elder boy turned to the Blue Spirit, the frown back on his face. "Aang told me that you saved Katara," he inhaled sharply before sticking out his hand, "Thanks. I owe you one."

One? He saved the Avatar too! (Even if he _was _going to just capture him again.) The masked warrior refused the gesture, and the Water Tribe warrior's scowl deepened.

"What's with the mask?" he asked, taking a step forward. The Blue Spirit took a step back, keeping the same distance between them. He turned his head to the Avatar. If he could just grab him and run... "Come on, what's with all the secrecy? It's not like we're going to tell anyone. And if we did, you'd be a _hero_!" He said 'hero' in a tone that made the Blue Spirit certain the peasant was suspicious of him.

He had to act _now_.

Lunging towards the Avatar, the Blue Spirit noticed too late that the Water Tribe boy was ready for this as he struck out with his whale-bone club. It managed to cause the tender part of the Blue Spirit's skull to throb again, and he fell to his knees. The pain! Black spots danced across his vision; he nearly slipped into unconsciousness yet again. Still hearing the ringing in his ears, the Blue Spirit threw off his mask, revealing a scarred face.

The girl—her ultramarine eyes wide and puzzled—and the Avatar gasped whereas the boy went in for another attack, raising his club. Prince Zuko dodged and responded with a stream of fire. It caught the warrior's robes but he was able to easily put them out. The Water Tribesman threw his boomerang with a rather impressive aim, one to rival the YuuYan archers. Luckily, Zuko was agile and managed to dodge the projectile on its way out, and its journey back.

What the prince did not realise was that the boy's plan—distraction—had worked and both the waterbender and the Avatar were already on the bison. The Water Tribe warrior caught the boomerang and hopped onto the Avatar's creature as it made its ascent.

"No!" he called as he sent a jet of flames.

He had been so close to retrieving the Avatar! He had had the child in his grasp! Soon the bison became a speck on the blue expanse of sky and Zuko was left with yet another day of failure and disappointment.

_Just like every other day..._

Blue eyes like sapphires flashed in his memory, unsettled seas of confusion and betrayal.

-

Iroh was playing the Sunghi Horn when his nephew finally returned. The grinning monkey statue he had bought from the pirates' ship was on a table next to him, its rubies reflecting the light from the sun. "Where have you been, Prince Zuko?" The young prince did not respond, storming past him. "You missed Music Night! Lieutenant Jee sang a _stirring _love song."

"I am going to bed." Zuko stated with a hint of annoyance. He rubbed his head then added: "No disturbances."

Casting one suspicious glance Prince Zuko's way, Iroh shrugged his shoulders and put his lips to the mouthpiece of the horn, playing one piece he had memorized in his youth.

-

"_Ever since my mother was killed by firebenders"..._

"_I've always been... _terrified_ of them"..._

"_My brother always tells me that they're like animals"..._

"_After hearing so many stories about the Fire Lord, I don't think that he'll ever welcome Zuko back, Avatar or no Avatar"..._

"_Memories... we all have such painful memories"..._

Her words were not to be trusted—she was a waterbending peasant, a member of an opposing nation in this war. Yet, again and again he found himself thinking over her comments, her experiences, and her beliefs.

She was just a peasant! What did she know about war? The losses he had to bear?

_An awful lot, _some part of mind replied, knowing that there was some truth in her statements. She had lived through it, just as he had. There was hardly a person in this world that was not affected by this conflict.

It was—_and is_—necessary, another section of him rebuked. It is necessary for the more dominant nation to take control—it is Destiny, Fate, the Natural Order of Things, Survival of the Fittest.

Perhaps there was a reason to why Zuko slept with his back to the Fire Nation flag that night.

-


	9. Prediction

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** And finally we embark on **Book One: Water, Chapter Fourteen: The Fortuneteller**.

I'm annoyed. Why? Well, I don't live in the USA so I can't watch the new episodes of Avatar when they come out. However, I have always used youtube to catch up but then for some reason '**The Chase**' wouldn't load. Then, I decided that I would download it on limewire instead—no biggie. I waited absolutely _ages _(hours, I tell you!) until finally it downloaded. I was all ready to watch it… only to discover that it wasn't Avatar at all, but porn.

_WHY WOULD SOMEONE NAME THAT… THAT… JUNK ((tries not to curse)) AFTER AN AVATAR EPISODE?_

I am so lucky that my little sister wasn't with me at the time.

But anyway, moving on. This chapter has quite a bit of one-sided Kataang, but you know, love triangles are fun! There's also one-sided Aang x Meng (Mang? Aeng?) but nothing big. I admit that I got lazy and nothing much happens but I just felt so frustrated that I didn't feel like writing at all. And there's none of the volcanic business because once again, I'm really not feeling up to writing about it.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part IX: Prediction**

Sokka somehow knew even before he exposed the masked warrior that Katara had a… _crush _on the stranger.

He picked up on the way her eyes widened when the 'killer whale was revealed in seal's clothing', and then suddenly closed as if she was in _pain_.

Of course, he was her big brother; he was supposed to know these _things_ and prevent such _things_ from happening but it was the fact that Katara had been _crushing_—he really did hate that word—on Prince Zuko that made it that much more repulsive. Sure, the firebender was disguised and mute so they didn't have to see his ugly scar or hear his obnoxious, holier-than-thou voice but it was the mere principle that Katara—liked (past tense)—Zuko!

And now, she was moping.

Lamenting over a lost love, crying over a corrupt companion, sobbing over a strayed sweetheart… it made Sokka want to spew up his Leechi nuts. (Not literally of course. Katara wasn't crying, or sobbing; she was much stronger than that.)

Aang didn't have a clue; that boy was oblivious to the behavioural patterns of the female species. The Water Tribe boy gave his sister credit—she hid it well—but her little masquerade wasn't nearly as powerful enough to remain hidden from Sokka: proven to be the greatest detective in the South Pole, and probably the rest of the world too. He noticed her eyes taking on a glistening sheen as she stubbornly refused to cry; he observed the way she stared at the forest ground, even when Prince Zuko was out of sight; Sokka heard her berating herself, muttering _"Stupid!" _to herself over and over again.

First of all he wondered if it was his imagination—he might have been over-reacting or reading too much in between the lines—but he was Katara's brother, he had lived with the waterbender her whole life, and he _knew _what she was like. Then again, the Katara he knew wouldn't be _crushing _on a royal-pain-in-the-neck.

It must have been because he saved her life, and Aang's. Girls always fell for the hero, right? He'd heard that in all the clichéd stories he'd been told as a kid, when the courageous and strong Water Tribe warrior would save the day and the beautiful and innocent Water Tribe maiden would fall in love with him. They would marry, have plenty of children and live happily ever after.

Then War came and the 'happily ever after' became a distant dream, only based on childish fairytales and young hope.

Sokka was tempted to talk to Katara, but then they may encounter** 'The Talk'** and that was definitely something Sokka did _not _wish to discuss with his innocent, baby sister. Nope, not at _all_.

So he sent her a suspicious look, but remained silent.

-

Sokka's strange looks were beginning to irk Katara.

True, that wasn't the only thing that was making her mood particularly glum but it had a major part in it. First of all, she was… well… _embarrassed_. She had said all those things about Zuko to that mysterious masked warrior, how she pitied him, only to turn out that that strange swordsman was Zuko! The irony was too much to bear, and she found herself speechless. And to think that she had mistaken him for a Water Tribesman!

(She ignored the feelings of attraction she had felt to the disguised male—that wasn't _attraction_, just simple curiosity.)

Then, as if that shocking revelation wasn't enough, she had managed to scratch her hand on a stray piece of twig stuck in Appa's fur. Her eyes had brimmed with tears but she fought to contain the salty droplets from leaking out. Thankfully, they disappeared after a while.

Next (the world was against her) she found that one of the beads used in her hair was missing. It had probably come out in her haste to clamber onto Appa. _And it had been such a pretty bead too… _she mentally anguished as she stared at the forest floor beneath them, as if expecting it to jump up more than a hundred feet to place itself back in her hair. Well, that would have been quite convenient.

"Stupid," she muttered to herself. How was she supposed to get a bead that was traditionally a Water Tribe accessory in the Earth Kingdom? Who knew how long it would take until they reached the North Pole, if a population still existed there. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" she repeated.

There he went again. Another odd stare, courtesy of her elder brother. A few hours later, they settled by a small lake to make camp. They all worked in silence, erecting the blue tents and collecting dry wood for the fire they would light when the sun set. Sokka glanced to her once more, and Katara felt rage flow through her. Just as she was about to give him a taste of her mind, she noticed something green jump out of the lake before diving back in. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she pointed, "Look!"

Her two accomplices turned to the sight as well, both equally baffled until one particular green creature—which they had all now identified as a koi fish—pulled an even uglier face (which must have been hard, for a fish).

"He's taunting us," Sokka growled, approaching the lake with his lips pulled back in a snarl. He pointed at the koi before yelling: "You are so gonna be dinner!" The fish didn't seem at all bothered, and continued jumping above the water before falling back in. Sokka picked up his fishing rod, only to realise that a major part was missing. "Hey, where's the fishing line?"

"Oh," Aang smiled as he lifted up a braided fishing line, decorated with a single pink flower, "I didn't think you would need it, Sokka."

Sokka's shoulders slumped. "It's all tangled!" the boomerang-wielding boy whined as he threw his useless fishing rod to the floor.

"Not tangled, _woven_!" Aang corrected then looked to the blue-eyed waterbender. "I made you a necklace, Katara. I thought since you lost your other one…" The Avatar flashed her a grin as he held up the hand-made piece of jewellery.

Katara smiled and took the gift, "Thanks, Aang. I love it."

"Great, Aang," Sokka commented sarcastically, "Maybe instead of saving the world you can go to the jewellery-making business."

"I don't see why I can't do both," Aang suggested, completely serious. Sokka was about to reply, when a large splash was heard behind him. He picked up the fishing rod and threw it like a spear, but the rude koi easily dodged it.

"Stop taunting me!" he complained as he waded into the lake with his knife unsheathed. Aang was laughing at Sokka's pure stupidity (it was good to watch someone else be the fool for a change) when Katara's voice interrupted him.

"So? How do I look?"

A goddess stood before him, glowing with radiance and beauty. Around her slender neck was _his _gift. His cheeks reddened and he suddenly felt _very _hot. "Y-you mean all of you, or just your neck? I… I mean, they both look great!"

"Smoochie, smoochie!" Sokka teased as he emerged with the green fish in his arms, "Someone's in _lurve_!"

Aang was about to deny all accusations when the koi fish struggled out of his grip and slapped his face with its tail, making them both go under the water. "I… well…" he shifted uncomfortable from foot to foot, hesitant over his words.

"Stop teasing him, Sokka. Aang's just a good friend! A sweet, little guy, just like Momo!" she patted the Avatar's head before stroking the lemur's fur.

"Thanks," Aang muttered, not quite sure why the words made him upset. He wanted her to be his friend, right? But being compared to Momo didn't make it that great. Meanwhile, Sokka surrendered and came back to the land, wet and without the fish. A roar sounded, interrupted any further taunting from Sokka or any more unintentional put-downs from Katara. The Avatar used his airbending to get above a rock and look towards the direction of the noise.

"Someone's being attacked by a platypus bear!"

-

After helping the crazy traveller that wasn't at all frightened by the twelve-foot platypus bear in front of him (and proving that Sokka contained no fortune-telling skills at all), the gang were eager to see the infamous 'Aunt Wu' the man had told them about and have her tell them their fortunes, with the exception of a sceptical Sokka—what a surprise.

"Aunt Wu is expecting you," a man with white hair greeted as they reached what seemed to be the fortune-teller's home. His voice was smooth like silk, and extremely mysterious. It seemed to add to the supernatural aura of the place.

"Really?" Katara gushed as she rushed in side. Sokka groaned disapprovingly before following his sister in.

A young girl with bushy pig-tails and a gap in her teeth welcomed them into the lobby. "My name is Meng and I am Aunt Wu's assistant…" she paused, catching sight of Aang. She looked him up and down approvingly. Katara was too excited too notice, and Sokka and Aang were far too bored. "Why, hello there," her eyes raked over his form once more as her lips curved upwards into a smirk.

"Hello," Aang grunted as the three took a seat.

"Can I get you some tea or some of Aunt Wu's special bean-curd puffs?" Meng offered, her brown eyes sparkling.

"I'll have a curd puff," Sokka raised his hand but Meng silenced him by extending her arm to indicate that she wasn't asking him.

"Just a minute!" she still hadn't taken her eyes of Aang, and moved in closer. "So… what's your name?"

"Aang," he stated, disinterested.

The infatuated girl gasped, "That rhymes with Meng! We have _so _much in common! Say… you have pretty big ears, don't you?"

Aang's eyebrows rose in confusion, having no idea what this girl was talking about and why she was moving in so close. And did she just insult him? Or did she mean it as a compliment? He was so confused! "I… I guess…"

"Oh, don't be modest!" Sokka grinned, clearly enjoying himself at the Avatar's expense. "They're _huge_!"

Putting his hands up to cover his _"huge" _ears, Aang glared at the Water Tribe male. During this time, Meng took a step back from him. "Well, Aang," she said, liking the way it rolled off her tongue, "It was very nice to meet you… _very nice_."

"Likewise," Aang responded politely. Meng flashed him a smile.

"I can't believe we're here in the house of nonsense," Sokka frown as he wriggled his toes.

Katara, resisting the urge to barf at the smell of his cheesy feet, responded, telling him to keep an open mind. "There are things in this world that just can't be explained. Wouldn't it be nice to have some insight into our future?"

"It would be nice to have some bean-curd puffs," Sokka remarked all-knowingly.

A woman with greying hair, gold and red robes and thick make-up walked into the room, her hands folded into her sleeves. "Welcome, young travellers! Now, who's next? Don't be shy."

Katara raised her hand eagerly, "Me!" She then looked to her brother and friend, "I mean… if that's okay with you two." Aang and Sokka both gave her a bored look. She smiled and got onto her feet, following the old woman.

Meng entered again with a tray of snacks and lay them in front of the two boys, making goo-goo eyes at the air nomad. When it became clear that he was not going to return to look, she told him to enjoy the snacks and left. Sokka did not hesitate and picked up the bowl of bean-curd puffs. He began scoffing them down then offered them to Aang.

"No, it's okay. I'm good on puffs." Sokka shrugged and continued to shove his mouth full of them. "So… what do you think they're talking about back there?"

Sokka picked up the tea and held it in a posh manner, his little finger raised. "Boring stuff, I suppose. Who she's gonna marry, how many babies she's gonna have…"

Aang choked on the air before regaining his composure and looking around. "Yeah… dumb stuff like that… Well, I gotta find the bathroom!" He rushed to his feet and out of the waiting room. Sokka dismissed Aang's strange behaviour—that kid was just _strange_, full stop—and lounged over the cushions, throwing a bean-curd puff and catching it expertly in his mouth. He reached for more only to find that the bowl was missing. Looking to the corner of the room, he noticed Momo dive head-first into the bowl, swimming in the puffs whilst eating them.

Sokka pushed back his sleeves and narrowed his eyes. Momo, sensing the danger, emerged from the bowl of snacks and matched his stare whilst making a trilling sound.

The game was _on_.

-

Aang smiled dumbly as he entered the lobby once again. The conversation he had just eavesdropped on replayed in his ears, making him strut arrogantly into the room. Oh, he could still hear it now…

"_Your palms are so soft. Do you use moisturiser?"_

"_Actually, I have this special seaweed lotion. I can get you some if you want."_

(Oh wait. Not the pointless conversation that went on for _ages_…)

"_So… do you see anything interesting in my love line?"_

"_I see a great romance in you. The man you are going to marry."_

"_Tell me more!"_

"_I can see that he's a very powerful bender and—oh! You have already met him!"_

"_I have? When?"_

"_You were in contact with him very recently."_

"_Recently? What do you mean by recently?"_

"_I am unsure. It could mean a few days, or even a few minutes."_

Sokka, covered in scratches and curd puffs, raised an eyebrow at his smug posture. "Looks like someone had a good bathroom break."

"Yeah, when I was in there—"

"—I don't wanna know!" Sokka interrupted before hearing any antics about Aang in the bathroom. The mental images were so _not _wanted, thank you very much. Aunt Wu chose this time to walk into the room.

"Who's next?" Katara followed her in and sat on the cushion she previously occupied. Sokka stood up and brushed off his clothes.

"Okay, let's get this over with…"

"Your future is full of struggle and anguish," Aunt Wu began in a disapproving voice. "Most of it…" her eyebrows rose, "self-inflicted."

"B-But—" Sokka spluttered, "You didn't read my palms or anything!"

Aunt Wu sighed. "I don't need to; it's written all over your face," she added to this by trying to capture the gloominess from his expression into her own. Sokka's shoulders instantly slumped as he tried to pick out that once piece of curd puff that was still lodged in between his teeth. "You then," she pointed to Aang and gestured with a wave of her hand for him to follow, "Come with me."

Katara offered her brother a sympathetic look but nothing could remove the deep scowl from his face. "Well," she attempted to lighten his spirits, "You don't believe in this fortune-telling stuff anyway, do you?"

He merely grunted, keeping his eyes cast on the floor.

-

"Somehow I get the feeling that Aunt Wu was a little too eager for us to leave," Katara mumbled as she looked at the village fading into the distance. Aang had returned rather giddy from his prediction and after stopping his hyperactive dancing and celebrating, they had bought more supplies from the village market and were convinced to stay the night at an inn, free of charge (the innkeeper had been told by Aunt Wu that good luck would follow if he was generous to members from other nations—his supposedly barren wife was discovered to be pregnant the next day).

Indeed, the fortune-teller had been more than happy to see them go after Sokka's attempts to convince people that fortune-telling was a bunch of nonsense, Katara's constant questions about her future extending to what she should eat for breakfast, Momo's mischievous tricks to get more bean-curd puffs and how Meng would act so distracted when Aang was around.

The whole village had gathered to wave them all off, all looking very happy about it.

"Bye, Meng!" Katara smiled eagerly as she waved at the younger girl.

Meng returned the enthusiasm, "Goodbye!" But when the elder was out of hearing range, it turned out to be false as she muttered:

"Floozie."

-


	10. Probably

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** And on to **Book One: Water, Chapter Fifteen: Bato of the Water Tribe**. (The first part)

Extra-long chapter.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part X: Probably**

Aang picked up the strange weapon he had found lodged in the dirt and held it up to examine it. "Hey, what's this?" he said out loud, getting Sokka's attention, "A sword made out of a whale's tooth?" The Water Tribesman rushed over to him and snatched the weapon out of his grip.

"What? Give it here!" he looked over the object closely, and noted the perfect, sharp point that it curved into. The blue ribbon gave a dead give-away as to where it originated from. "This is a Water Tribe weapon; I wonder… keep a look out for anymore." The Avatar nodded and the two boys proceeded to search the bushes surrounding them, keeping their eyes peeled for any more tools originating from Sokka's homeland.

Katara—who had been tired of waiting for the boys to gather dry wood for the camp fire—approached them, "Did you lose something?"

"No, we found something!" Aang replied and cheerfully continued to search. Sokka located another weapon (an arrow head) and frowned as he observed that it was burned. Looking up, he noticed that there were scorch marks on the trees in this area, along with slashes in the bark made from knives. In his mind, he gathered the visual information and put together a theory (his great detective skills at work once again).

"There was a battle here. Water Tribe warriors ambushed a bunch of Fire Nation… firebenders. The firebenders fought back but the Water Tribe warriors pushed them down this hill towards the sea." Suddenly he broke off in a sprint, his two accomplices following.

"What happened next?" Aang asked—pumped with adrenaline and curiosity—as they reached the beach. The sea pounded against the rocks and seagulls called to each other whilst scavenging for food.

"I don't know," Sokka whispered meekly, "The trail ends here. I can't see anymore tracks or even any scorch marks. I wonder who—"

Katara scanned the beach shore then suddenly froze. "Is that a… _Water Tribe boat_?"

Sokka instantly ran over to it with Katara following, "Yes! It's one of ours!"

"Is it…" she paused to gaze over the fine craftsmanship (that boat was built for endurance), "…Dad's boat?"

"No," Sokka ran his hand over the sides, "But it's definitely from his fleet. I'm sure of it."

Still admiring the Water Tribe boat, Katara felt a sudden plague of home-sickness. What was Gran-Gran doing? How were the children? Had there been anymore attacks? Sokka turned to Katara, his eyes sparkling for the first time in a _very, very _long time.

"Dad was here."

-

Iroh looked at the cup before him, sniffing its scent before grinning in pure appreciation. Oh yes, this was a very special brew. Taking a small sip, he then gazed at his nephew. "See, Zuko? A moment of quiet—" he poured him a cup, "—is good for your mental well-being."

The prince grimaced as he stared at the cup full of the brown liquid. It couldn't be that bad, could it? His uncle seemed to enjoy it, and it clearly wasn't poisoned. Or perhaps the Dragon of the West had too strong a stomach and could resist the toxic substances. Then again, it couldn't possibly be worse than the rum the crew had offered to him on his sixteenth. Zuko shuddered, remembering _that _fiasco. Seeing that Iroh was still staring at him, awaiting him to try it, he lifted the cup to his lips…

_BANG!_

Only to have it spilt all over his face.

Growling, he used his sleeve to remove some of the liquid (thankfully, due to Zuko being a firebender, the heat didn't bother him that much) and stood up, his mind set on drowning whoever caused this disturbance in a bath of boiling jasmine tea.

Some tea trickled down under his robes, down his chest, causing him to shiver.

_Acidic _jasmine tea.

Meanwhile, on deck, his crew of firebenders yelled and rushed out of the way as a large beast lunged on to the ship, sniffing and darting out its long, red tongue to taste the air. A woman sat astride the creature, her right hand holding on to its reins whilst a large whip was being held in her left hand.

"Get back!" she instructed with her voice as sharp as her pet's teeth. "We're looking for a stowaway!"

Prince Zuko had emerged and marched up to her without any hesitation, "There are no stowaways on _my _ship," he stated, making emphasis on the '_my'_ to make sure she was aware that she was trespassing onto _his _property, the son of the Fire Lord. The monster she sat on paid no mind to his tone of authority and snarled as it gripped onto a metal tile of the deck and easily ripped it away using its strong teeth, casting it in Zuko's direction so he was forced to duck. It hit the wall behind him, making a clanging sound.

Her pet stuck its head in the gap, sniffing around. A few moments later a balding man wearing green Earth Kingdom clothes emerged and he proceeded to run as fast as he could away from the hissing animal. He was no match, however, for the beast's quick tongue as it slapped the back of his neck.

The stowaway fell, motionless.

"He's paralysed," Zuko observed.

The woman dismounted the creature and picked the man up by the collar of his clothes. "Only temporarily," she sighed as she flung him over her shoulder, "The toxins will wear off in about an hour. But by then, he'll be in jail and _I'll _have my money." She flicked her long, black hair and walked back over to her pet.

Zuko took a step forward, "But how did you find him on my ship?"

She patted the animal's coat affectionately, "My Xir-Xiu can smell a rat a continent away." Her eyes were decorated thickly with black make-up, bringing out the dark colour of her pupils and contrasting heavily against her pale skin and dark red lips; they were far too red to be natural. The black clothes—that must have been her favourite colour—suggested that she did not belong to any particular country but the raven hair and pale skin would lead anyone to believe she was Fire Nation (but what Fire Nation man or woman would reject their country's passionate red and majestic gold?).

"Well, I'm impressed," Iroh admired. Not uttering another word, the woman whipped the beast once and departed, leaving a jagged hole in the deck. Yet when Iroh murmured: "Very impressed", it seemed that Zuko was the only one that noticed.

-

Sokka prodded at the fire, gazing into its orange and yellow depths as he allowed his thoughts to wander. To be honest, Sokka did not think much because it hurt him, but not in the way that Katara would claim (he _did _have the mental capacity to think and use his brain!). No. Simply, he didn't want to think, because if he thought, he would remember, and if he remembered, it brought pain.

Nothing physical; the hurt would be emotional, and that was the worst kind of pain. Bandages and ointment could heal the physical wounds, but no salve could be placed on the cuts and bruises he suffered on his heart and soul.

He glanced to Aang, seeing him sleeping soundly on Appa's soft fur. During Katara's absence, Aang had told him about the circumstances involving his departure from the Southern Air Temple, and how he had come to be imprisoned in a block of ice for a hundred years. Sokka felt that the two had bonded, and he wasn't ashamed to think of Aang as a good friend—heck, maybe even a little brother (even know technically the Air Nomad was 112 years old).

His cobalt eyes wandered to his sister, also engaged in a deep slumber. Sokka knew Aang had a crush on his little sister (who could miss the longing gazes he would send her way?) and for the first time since… well… _forever_, he didn't mind. He wouldn't mind having Aang for a brother-in-law. If he wasn't so protective of Katara, he might have even encouraged it; but he was extremely protective and the Avatar would have to work _hard _to get through Sokka's tests.

And there was also the fact that Sokka believed Katara had a minor crush on Zuko. Sure, it was fading but the fact remained—for a brief moment in time, Katara _liked _Zuko. He hadn't confronted her about it (and as stated before, never would) but the little imaginary scenarios that kept churning around in his mind kept making him cringe.

But the little waterbender was _better _than that. She knew _better _than to settle for firebending scum as her beloved.

Sokka was entrusted to look after Katara by his father, and he would look after her. He would protect her. He would make all the scary firebenders go away and make sure she was wrapped up warm in her sleeping bag of furs. Katara didn't _need _any heroes saving the day for her; Sokka could be her only hero.

Memories… He remembered wanting to be the hero before, seeing all the Water Tribe boats and Tribesmen geared for battle with their complete warrior uniforms, face paint and all. He had wanted to join in, donning his face paint and uniform and had picked up a bag full of pillows and blankets for him to sleep on and tools for surviving in other terrains. He had made his way to his father's boat, heaving the heavy pack.

"_Sokka…" his father sighed as he knelt to the young boy's level._

_The child's bright blue eyes were full of determination, of hope. "I'm coming with you," he stated as if nothing his parent could say or do could stop him. And in this little boy's mind, nothing could prevent him from going out to _'War' _and stopping those bad people._

"_You're not old enough to go to war, Sokka. You know that," the elder admonished, his lips resisting the urge to curve upwards in a smile as he witnessed the tenacity the boy—his son—possessed._

_Sokka remained adamant. "I'm strong, I'm brave… I can fight!" His eyes sparkled with sheer courage before softening, "Please, Dad?"_

_He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Being a man is knowing where you are needed the most. And for you right now it's here protecting your sister." Tears began to brim in his large eyes, but he held them back._

"_I… I don't understand," he sniffed before staring at the floor; a white blanket of pure white snow. "Why…"_

"_Some day you will." Abandoning the bag and letting it drop on the cold snow beneath his feet, Sokka lunged forward, wrapping his arms around his father, who laid a comforting hand on his head. "I'm going to miss you and your sister so much."_

_Young Sokka sobbed, tears falling from his eyes as he attempted to burrow into his father's coat._

And that had been the last time they met. Who knew where he was now, but the fact that he had been _there _at one point somehow lifted his spirits. He was still alive; he _knew _he was still alive…

A rustle in the bushes. Sokka jumped to his feet, his trusty boomerang in hand. "Who's there?" he questioned out loud, forgetting about his two sleeping comrades. Were the firebenders still here, waiting for more Water Tribe warriors? Had they been following them all day, waiting for the right moment for an ambush? A shadowy figure approached, his features hidden by the lack of light until finally he was close enough for the campfire to reveal his identity.

"Sokka?" the person asked, shocked.

"_Bato?_" Sokka recognised the Water Tribesman yet wasn't sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Aang muttered something incomprehensible as he stirred; Katara had also awoken and shook her head to remove the feeling of grogginess.

Sokka smiled, the disbelief fading away. Katara gasped, also remembering who this man was. "Bato!" she grinned.

"Sokka, Katara!" The two rushed up to this man and embraced him, feeling as if they were embracing part of their home. Both had been suffering from home-sickness. "It's so good to see you two. You've grown so much!"

Aang took this opportunity to introduce himself. Bowing, he raised a hand in a sign of peace, "Hi, I'm Aang." Bato was about to offer his own introduction when he was interrupted by frantic questions from the Water Tribe siblings.

"Where's Dad?"

"Is he here?"

"No," Bato felt bad for suddenly sinking their spirits, "He and the other warriors should be in the Eastern Earth Kingdom by now." Their shoulders slumped before shivering as a cold wind brushed against them. "But come, this is no place for a reunion. Let's get inside. I can get a much better fire going." With one hand, he gestured for Aang to follow. They soon arrived at a village, full of woman wearing similar cream and pink robes (although it was hard to decipher the colours in the dark). "After I was wounded, your father carried me here to this abbey. The sisters have cared for me ever since. Sister!"

A woman with her old age shown clearly by her wrinkled face walked over to them, her hands hidden in her large sleeves. Bato bowed and the woman mirrored the gesture, still remaining silent.

"These are Hakoda's children," Bato introduced, "They're travelling with the Avatar. I found them by my boat."

"Young Avatar," the nun bowed to Aang, "It gives me great joy to be in your presence. Welcome to our abbey."

"Thank you," Aang grinned, happy that _finally _someone was talking directly to him, "It's truly an honour to be here. If there's anything—"

"What smells so good, Bato?" Sokka interjected, looking up at his father's friend whilst sniffing the sweet scent lingering in the air around him.

"The sisters craft ointments and perfumes."

"Perfume? Maybe we could dump some on Appa because he stinks so much," he waved his hand in front of his nose to stress the point even more and make the statement comical. "I mean _whoo! _He could gas out a whole village! Am I right or am I right?"

Katara and Bato's blank faces stared back at him.

"I see you have your father's wit," Bato muttered.

-

"Out of my way!" Zuko ordered gruffly as he pushed one bystander out of the way. He and his uncle had decided (well, Zuko had decided and Iroh had been more than happy to agree) to follow Jun and strike a deal with her. If she was so good a bounty hunter with a creature as unique and brilliant as it was, surely she would have no problem looking for an Avatar. Zuko just _happened _to have something that belonged to one of his companion's should the animal need a scent to follow.

They had located the beast outside the tavern located near the port that they had docked and were positive that they would find the owner inside. Zuko somehow had an idea that the raven-haired woman was probably in the middle of this gathering crowd.

"Step aside, filth!" he shouted as he once again shoved a random person from his path.

His uncle followed behind him, scratching his beard nervously. "He means no offence!" he apologised in a light-hearted tone and a small smile as he offered his hands up in a gesture of piece as he continued to pursue his nephew, "I'm sure you bathe regularly."

Zuko at last reached the centre of the ruckus; a table and two chairs were placed. In one chair sat a thickly muscled man with sweat pouring down his face, in the other sat the woman from before, as cool and aloof as ever. "We need to talk to you," he growled, making it sound like an order (which to him, it probably was).

She turned to them with a small smirk, "Well, if it isn't my new friends…" her opponent began to writhe and grunt in pain, "Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy." Iroh chuckled whilst Zuko snarled, trying to contain the fire itching to escape from his fists.

A split second later, the man's hand was slammed against the table and the pale woman was announced as the winner. Numerous cheers and cat-calls were heard around them as money was thrown forward.

"You trashed my ship," Zuko stated as calmly as he could, "You have to pay me back!"

"I'd love to help you out," her voice was smooth and flowing, reminding him of a snake ready to pounce. Speaking of snakes, he noticed the identical snake tattoos that were branded on both of her upper arms. These were the only examples of another colour (except for her dark red lips) and were an odd maroon-shade. "But it seems I'm a little short on money," she snickered as she gathered the pile of money before her. "Drinks are on me!" she hollered and another chorus of cheers erupted, making her put on a smug grin.

Just as she reached for her drink brought to her by one of the bartenders, Zuko gripped onto her wrist—(funny how he noticed that her skin wasn't nearly as smooth as the waterbender's)—and leaned in closer to her face.

"Money isn't what I had in mind."

Later, outside the bar, Zuko held up the Water Tribe necklace to the dim light and noted the way that the light blue crystal pendant now seemed to be silver. The necklace had spent a long time contained in his pocket—truth be told, he had forgotten it was there. It was only when he had returned from the masked warrior incident that he decided to have a hot bath when he woke up. As he was undressing, the piece of jewellery had fallen out of his pocket.

For a moment he feared that he had broken it as he instantly picked it up to examine it. When he realised what he done, he hid it in the back of his drawer, along with his other personal belongings, such as his pearl dagger. He wondered if it held any sentimentality to the waterbender, as his dagger did. A gift from a relative? A present from a… (for some reason this made him cringe) suitor?

"I need you to find someone," Zuko said calmly as his arm remained outstretched, holding the necklace.

She leaned nonchalantly against her Xir-Xiu, "What happened? Your _girlfriend _ran off on you? Wouldn't surprise me…"

Zuko tried his best to ignore the bounty-hunter's words, although he did take a long pause to make sure he did not stutter. That _waterbender _as his _girlfriend_? How preposterous! Zuko would never… That was just… Like he would ever… She wasn't even… The prince took a deep breath, and attempted to stick with his first-priority mission. It played like a mantra through his head: _Capture the Avatar… Reclaim my honour… Capture the Avatar… Reclaim my honour…_. "It's not the Water Tribe girl I'm after. It's the bald monk she's travelling with." He almost added the Avatar, but decided to leave it out.

"Whatever you say," she commented with a heavy tone of disbelief.

Nevertheless, he continued. "If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for."

The woman scoffed and mounted her beast, "Forget it! I don't have time to chase down your girlfriend." Iroh, seeing that Zuko's method of persuasion not working, decided to step in and make an offer of his own; one that she would find hard to refuse.

"Plus we'll pay your weight in gold." At this, the dark-haired female halted and dismounted the creature. Walking over to the retired general, she haggled with him; she would do it if she got _his _weight in gold. With a hearty chuckle, Iroh agreed. Snatching the jewellery from Zuko's hands—suddenly they felt so empty—she told them to get on her pet as she brought the object to her Xir-Xiu's nose to allow it to get a good sniff of the scent.

Noticing the saliva dripping from the beast's mouth, Zuko vaguely wondered if the monster would try to eat Kata—the waterbender. But why should he care? Would she care if their huge bison decided to have Prince Zuko for its lunch?

As the Xir-Xiu found the scent and began sprinting, some part of him whispered that she probably would.

-

Screams of numerous villagers were heard as the Xir-Xiu bounded through the village's streets, sniffing and snapping at anyone that came in its pathway. It circled for a moment, sniffing at the ground to try and get a lead.

"Why is it stopping?" Zuko questioned angrily, feeling uncomfortable from riding this horrid beast throughout the night and morning. He only hoped that the Avatar hadn't managed to travel too far.

The bounty-hunter—strange how he hadn't got her name yet—shrugged her shoulders, "The girl must have spent a lot of time here."

Prince Zuko growled, "I don't have time for this!" He snatched the piece of jewellery from her hands—he felt that it would be safer in his care anyway—and stood in front of the beast, allowing it to sniff the waterbender's scent. Zuko dodged just in time to miss the creature's quick tongue; he had seen what the toxins present on its tongue could do. Frowning, he heard his uncle chuckling.

"Aw," the raven-haired female teased, "I think he likes you."

Meanwhile, a woman with grey and white-streaked hair stood beside Iroh. She was dressed in elegant gold robes with red trimmings. "Care to hear your fortune, handsome?" the woman—most likely a fortune-teller—offered with a grin.

"At my age," he smiled sadly, "There is really only one big surprise left. And I'd rather leave it a mystery," he winked.

With a crack of the whip, they were off again.

-

"…And for Aang, the mark of the trusted. You are now an honorary member of the Water Tribe." Bato stepped mark to admire the marks he had given the three individuals. Sokka was graced with the mark of the wise (just like his father), Katara received the mark of the brave and Aang was honoured with the mark of the trusted. But… Aang knew he couldn't accept it.

The monk stared at the ground, remembering the events from last night. They had all gone to where Bato's room, and had enjoyed story-telling around a campfire with stewed sea-prunes. All of them, that is, except Aang, who was left on his own. When Bato had told them that he was expecting a message from his father, he had also invited them to come with him to meet up with Hakoda. Sokka and Katara were so eager, that it made Aang's heart rip in two. He left the hut then, and later learned that they hadn't even realised that he had gone.

While he was gone, he had run into the messenger. As memories of what he did next began to surface, Aang cringed. He had taken the message before scrunching it into a ball and hiding it in his pocket when the messenger was out of sight.

And the paranoia that they would find out what he did had haunted him ever since, but he knew that being branded with the mark of the trusted whilst he was so deceitful just wasn't right; he wasn't being fair to them. "I… I can't…" he whispered.

"Of course you can," Katara smiled; the mark of the brave (a crescent moon) was still present on her forehead. He wiped off his own mark with the back of his hand.

He stepped back until he felt the waves sloshing against the back of his feet. "I can't be trusted," he muttered.

"Aang?" Katara's brows furrowed, confused, "What are you talking about?"

It was now or never. He couldn't continue lying to them. They were his _friends_, and friends didn't do what he did. Aang took out the scrunched up map showing their father's location and held it out. "A messenger gave me this for Bato." Katara took it out of his hand and read it, gasping. "You have to understand, I was afraid that you—"

"This is the map to our father!" Sokka had looked over Katara's shoulder, and seen what the message contained, "You had it the whole time! _How could you_? W-Well…" he stuttered, clearly furious, "You can go to the North Pole on your own! I'm going to find Dad!" And with that, he turned his back on the boy he considered his friend and potential foster brother (the one boy he wouldn't mind to have as a brother-in-law).

"Now, Sokka," Bato admonished, "I think you should—"

"Katara," the Water Tribe boy interrupted, "Are you with me?"

Katara faltered, looking into the deep oceans of hatred that were present in her brother's eyes before looking to Aang. His grey irises shook with unshed tears, full of apologies and _'oh-I-wish-I-hadn't…_'s. Her eye-lids closed as she took a deep breath. "I'm with you, Sokka."

Aang's life—_"I didn't want to hurt anyone, especially not you, Katara"_—crashed before him like a ship on the rocks.

It was probably his fault, too.

-


	11. Paralysis

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** And on to **Book One: Water, Chapter Fifteen: Bato of the Water Tribe**. (The second part)

Short chapter and late update… I apologise. It's just that I was extremely busy the weekend I was supposed to update and I've only just gotten back from a camping trip. I'm also away this weekend on some 'relax-by-partying-all-night-and-playing-sports-all-day' getaway so I'll try to update either on Thursday this week or (if I don't get it written in time) sometime after I return.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XI: Paralysis**

The Sisters all attended to the pots of sweet-smelling liquids, stirring them with large utensils. As they worked, stirring the perfume, they chattered to each other over philosophical matters such as whether the Hundred-Year War was coming to an end, and also practical subjects, such as what new scents they could combine for a new ointment. Overall, despite the Water Tribe people leaving abruptly (as well as the Avatar, although he travelled in a different direction), it was any other normal day so far.

That is, until, the pots began to tremble and clatter as what felt like an earthquake attacked the peaceful village. Some pots threatened to fall over and spill out their liquid, but the women looking after the perfume managed to keep a firm grip of the teetering containers.

A second later, the gates of the village were forced open as a large, rat-like creature emerged, sniffing as a dog would do and hissing similarly to a snake. Its razor-sharp talons scratched against the stone courtyard floor as it continued to sniff, darting its lizard tongue out a few times to taste the air. The Sisters gasped at the sight of this monstrosity, cowering in fear.

The beast made a 360-degree turn and faced the exit.

Upon the creature were three people: a woman with dark make-up, an old man and a teenager. The two males were wearing Fire Nation armour (this realisation made the nuns whimper even more) but the female was entirely dressed in black. "We're getting close," she said before lashing out with her whip. The other two held on tightly as the animal ran off again, out of the village.

Sighing in relief, the Sisters took a few calming breaths before returning to work.

One Sister, who Bato had talked to earlier, frowned. The beast had followed the Water Tribesmen.

-

Walking down a dirt path cutting through the forest, the three members from the Water Tribe stopped to hear a wolf howling mournfully in the distance. "That wolf sounds so sad," Katara said to Sokka. Trust her to be concerned over an animal—_she always had a habit of picking up strays, _Sokka thought before wincing. That was harsh.

He shrugged his shoulders, "It's probably injured or something."

"No," Bato interjected with a sigh, "It has been separated from its pack. I understand that pain. I felt like that when the Water Tribe warriors had to leave me behind. They were my family, and being apart from them was more painful than my wounds."

Sokka looked at the ground, lost in thought. He remembered when the Water Tribesmen had left him alone to look after the Tribe, being the eldest male yet not old enough to go to war. He too felt that pain; the emotional torment of being left behind. He _knew _this, and yet he left Aang…

"Sokka?" Katara questioned, breaking his train of thought but he had thought enough, and had decided.

With sudden determination, he looked back up. "We need to go back. I want to see Dad but…" he turned to Katara, already knowing that she understood, "Helping Aang is where we're needed the most."

His sister smiled, "You're right."

Bato stepped forward; he knew Sokka would have chosen the right path. He was, after all, the son of Hakoda. "Your father will understand, and I know he's proud of you." How many times had his best friend bragged about his son's fierce determination for righteousness, and his daughter's purity? And how would he react to Katara being a waterbender—the only one of her tribe? _Brag a lot more, _his mind supplied.

"Thanks, Bato," Sokka said softly, knowing that there was a possibility that they might not—no. They would see each other again. Sokka was sure of it. They would help the Avatar restore balance and every single Water Tribe warrior would return to their families back home.

"I'm going to go from here. Take this," he handed the map to Katara, "If you want to find us. Good luck. I shall see you soon."

The two siblings turned from Bato and retraced their steps back to the abbey. Hopefully, Aang wouldn't have gotten far and Sokka would be able to track him down. Around ten minutes later, when they were halfway back to the abbey, Sokka put his hand out in front of Katara. "Sokka?"

"I think I hear some—"

There was a sudden crash as something emerged from the trees behind them. They both turned back to see a huge mammal hissing and spitting at them with teeth as sharp as daggers. Katara, frozen in shock, was not able to flee but Sokka grasped her hand and pulled, already running from this strange creature. However, they managed to only find themselves in a dead end as a ten-foot ledge stood in front of them. They could not risk trying to climb it, as it would mean putting their backs to them.

Katara glanced to the riders and noticed Prince Zuko. Memories from when they last met passed through her mind.

"_Well, when I first saw his scar, I was scared of him—it gives off that aura of danger, you know?"_

She certainly saw this now, gulping as he dismounted the hissing animal and stood beside it, glaring at her. He probably hadn't forgotten it either; maybe he was hear to exact some revenge. Maybe he would make the monster devour her right in front of him.

"So this is your girlfriend," the female rider observed, "No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you."

Katara spluttered. _G-Girlfriend! _Zuko too seemed lost for words as his hands balled into shaking fists. The bounty-hunter just had to say that in front of the girl she accused him of dating!

Before Katara or Zuko could say anything in their defence, Sokka stepped forward.

"What! _Girlfriend_? You think my sister would even consider touching that firebending scum? She has higher expectations than that!" The dark-haired woman smirked, her eyes alight with mischief. Water Tribe and Fire Nation? Oh, the _scandal_…

Zuko chose to change the subject, and stick with his task. He could always reprimand her later for failing to keep her mouth shut. Although she probably wouldn't pay much attention and just laugh in his face. He glanced around—there was something missing… Wait a second, where was the Avatar? "Where is he? Where's the Avatar?"

Pushing Katara behind him (he had not forgotten the time a short while ago when Zuko had taken Katara prisoner), Sokka snarled, "We split up. He's long gone."

"How stupid do you think I am?" A rhetorical question, yet Katara's brother felt the need to answer it.

"Pretty stupid… _RUN!" _Sokka gripped Katara's wrist once more and broke out in a sprint but Katara was too slow with her steps, and the monster's tongue slapped against her leg, paralysing her.

In the last moments before paralysis settled over her completely, she yelled to Sokka: "Get Aang!" before finding herself losing complete control over her body. She suffered a few spasms, her muscles twitching before relaxing. Sokka hesitated—not again! He couldn't leave her behind again!—but just like before, he knew he had to. He couldn't fight them off on his own, and Aang needed to be found and warned.

One more moment of hesitation, then Sokka was gone, sprinting back towards the abbey, hoping that Aang had not moved far. The Xir-Xiu lunged for him but he wasn't within the poisonous tongue's reach.

Meanwhile, Zuko stood over the water peasant, noting the way the paralysis had not affected her eyes as she glanced in the direction of her brother worriedly. He frowned, not liking the way she completely ignored his intimidating presence (yes, he was intimidating to her; she had admitted it to him!).

"Do you really think your stupid peasant of a brother will be successful?" Zuko spat, "Even if he does get the Avatar, all it takes is a _lick _from this creature and my—" The bounty hunter, listening to the prince's taunts, scoffed at the word '_my'_, "—enemies are powerless to do anything, just like you are now."

Katara finally turned her gaze to Zuko, glaring with an intense hate. If her mouth wasn't incapable of speech, he was sure that she would have made some scathing remark—or at least, _tried_. A traitorous little voice whispered that it was worse for her to say nothing, as all he could focus on were two tumultuous oceans of fury, threatening to pull him in and rip the breath from his body.

His uncle placed a hand on his shoulder, and Zuko—at last—was able to look away, quickly going back to his authoritative self. "Uncle, get back on the animal. We must move on to find the Avatar before the peasant boy."

"And Katara?"

Zuko's brow furrowed as his lips curved downwards into a frown. Why did his uncle remember the peasant's name? Couldn't he just refer to her as 'the girl', removing all suggestions that they knew each other on a first-name basis? Couldn't he just pretend that Zuko had not nearly broken when he thought the peasant was dead?

Couldn't Zuko forget the feeling of relief when he found out she was—

_Shut up! _His mind screamed. _What do you think you're doing? Just leave the peasant and go!_

"It would be a good idea to use her for bait," the pale-skinned female supplied with a flick of her raven hair, "My Xir-Xiu is a magnificent creature, but if this monk of yours is so difficult to capture, a little bit of leverage couldn't hurt. And it would be such a shame to leave a pretty thing like her out in the wood where any beast could pick her up and have its wicked way with her." Somehow Zuko knew that by '_beast_' she didn't mean animals.

"Fine," he scowled, flinging the peasant over his shoulder and climbing onto the large animal before placing her behind him. "Let's just get going."

After allowing the Xir-Xiu a few seconds to decipher the Water Tribe boy's scent, the bounty hunter whipped the creature and they were off once more.

-

Zuko could not stop his cheeks turning red as he noticed where his hand had landed.

Really, it was completely innocent. The Xir-Xiu had charged through the gates with such force that their '_bait' _had began to slip from the monster's back. Acting on instinct, he had reached for her and grabbed her clothes. He patted her once to make sure she was secure and only realised then where he had touched: _her_ _derriere_.

It seems she too had noticed (well, she hadn't at first since the sensation was very slight due to her paralysis and had taken her a while for the messages to travel to her brain) as her cheeks had flushed an indignant—and embarrassed—rouge.

"S-sorry," he stuttered, his hand quickly retracting to settle in the Xir-Xiu's fur.

The other passengers made no outward indication that they had noticed although when Zuko looked closer at the bounty hunter, he saw a tell-tale smirk on her painted lips. Frowning, he told himself to let the peasant fall next time, rather than be left with this embarrassment.

"Where is he?" Zuko asked impatiently, seeing no sign of the other water peasant or the Avatar anywhere. "Are you sure it got the right scent? Why would they retu—"

"_IYAH!" _a familiar voice hollered as a boomerang was flung before the beast reared back into an upright position, spooked by the yell and feeling something sharp cut its front leg. Zuko gripped onto the fur and despite his earlier oath, held onto the peasant girl's arm to stop her from falling off.

Not allowing the creature to regain its balance, a sphere of pressurised air knocked into its chest. Zuko and the others all fell off the Xir-Xiu as it flipped onto its back, hissing at the sudden attacks.

Landing on his feet and making a sweeping motion with his staff, Aang stood before them.

"You want to fight, Zuko?"

He paused, glancing at Katara to make sure she was well. The Avatar frowned at her motionless state.

"Then let's fight."

-


	12. Perfume

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** And on to **Book One: Water, Chapter Fifteen: Bato of the Water Tribe** (the third and final part) and also **Book One: Water, Chapter Sixteen: The Deserter**.

My weekends are really being consumed by the volunteering work I'm doing… It's something called 'Brownies', and basically I'm doing a lot of camping whilst looking after a bunch of brats—I mean, little _angels_. Not to mention that my summer holidays (or vacation, whatever) are approaching and I must pay _some _attention to my friends. So… updates may be more separated than a week. I'm really trying, but it takes a lot of work and I often rewrite chapters and choose my favourite. But I'll see how it goes…

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XII: Perfume**

Zuko attacked first, lunging forward with a flaming fist of fury—angry at the Avatar for having this chase go on for so long, angry at his uncle for referring to the peasant by her first name, angry at _himself _for feeling somewhat guilty towards said peasant, angry at the bounty hunter for assuming that this peasant was his girlfriend and angry at the boy peasant… because he still hadn't forgiven him for that blow to the head all those weeks ago.

The Avatar was more than ready, using the air currents to push him up so he could dodge the Fire Prince's attack. He brought his staff down to whack Zuko smartly on the head but the elder of the two sidestepped. Zuko took a deep breath, gathering fire into his hands—_"Remember your basics, Prince Zuko; firebending comes from the breath"—_and pushed the orb forward. Aang foresaw his move and had made a sphere of his own made up of pressurized air currents.

The two globes of elemental energy collided.

_BANG! _Forced back by the sheer force of the impact, Zuko and Aang both struggled to their feet, both still with looks of determination on their faces. They paused for a few moments before diving in again to battle.

_I'm going to do this for you, Father._

_I'm going to do this for you, Katara._

Katara, watching helplessly in her paralysed state, looked on in horror as her best friend was up against their worst enemy. The strange dark-haired woman and her monstrous steed moved closer towards the fighting boys but was intercepted by a fierce-looking Appa (she had never heard him growl like that) with Sokka sitting upon him. Her brother just had to go ruin their entrance by making some stupid hero-pose and commenting on how he was going to beat her and her overgrown rat.

Prince Zuko's uncle Iroh was no where to be seen, but the waterbender knew that he would not get involved in Zuko's fight unless it looked like his nephew was in mortal danger. And even if he did involve himself, it would only be to retreat.

So Katara, the only waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe, was forced to remain powerless as her loved ones fought a powerful enemy. Her little finger twitched, but that was the most she could move. If only she hadn't been so _slow_…

One of the Sisters—the same one she had talked to the other day—rushed over to her with a small cream bottle in her hand. She uncorked the lid and placed it under Katara's nose. "Smell this," she instructed and Katara obliged. Sneezing, her whole body shook for a few seconds. Her hand went up to wipe at her nose before Katara realised the significance of that reaction; she could move again.

Jumping to her feet (but swaying slightly because of her unused muscles), Katara's hand reached for her water bottle. It was such a small amount of water that Katara doubted it would make much difference. Gazing back and forth, she noticed Zuko and Aang fighting around a well. Katara turned to the nun.

"Does that well have water?" she questioned. The nun nodded, unsure as to why she was asking this question before her lips curved upwards in understanding. She _was _from the Water Tribe, after all.

Katara mirrored her nod before rushing over there just in time to see Zuko perform a roundhouse kick, knocking the Avatar away. Katara moved her hands in a sudden _push _motion, forcing the water at the bottom of the well to rise at an incredible pace.

"Zuko!" she called. The Fire Prince turned to her, confused. _How did she—_he was cut off by the upward surge of water from below him, throwing him at least twenty feet in the air. He had no time to yell, or curse, as he met the unforgiving ground with an undignified _"Oomph!"_

The waterbender rushed over to Aang, but he seemed to be knocked out cold. She hoped that the firebender was in a similar state but his muffled curses and groans as he got to his feet proved this incorrect. She stood in front of Aang, her heart beating at a thousand beats per minute. She had to protect him, he was the hope of the world, he was her best friend, he was just a twelve year old kid…

"Get out of my way."

"No."

He brought a hand up to wipe away the moisture still present from her surprise attack. His hand reached into his pocket, taking out something that he knew would affect her. Sure enough, Katara's eyes narrowed.

"Give it back."

"What?"

"My mother's necklace," she growled, "Give it back."

"Then move out of my way. Do you really think you'll stand a chance against me? Think about it. I'm a Fire Nation Prince and you are Water Tribe pauper." His smarmy tone caused her fists to clench. The hand that wasn't holding Katara's mother's necklace blazed into flames, steadily approaching the piece of jewellery held in Zuko's left hand. "You better think quick, peasant."

Katara couldn't lose the only thing she had left of her mother, but she couldn't lose Aang either.

Should she give up the past, or the future?

Suddenly Appa charged past him, being chased by the bounty hunter's Xir-Xiu. The latter's tongue darted out, intending to lash at the furry bison but instead smacking an unprepared Zuko round the head. The fire prince twitched a few times before falling backwards, the fire in his right hand extinguished but the necklace still held in the other. Katara blinked, thanking the lucky stars for her good luck before looking back to Aang, making sure he was okay.

The Sister that had cured her paralysis ran over to her again. "Please, Daughter of Hakoda. The beast is starting to attack the Sisters. What do we do?" Katara frowned, thinking over what she could do. Aang was unconscious, Zuko was unable to do anything, Iroh was no where to be seen, the bounty hunter was trying to control her animal and Sokka and Appa were being chased by the persistent rat-looking creature.

What did she know about it? Its tongue caused paralysis. It was fast. It was hard to control. No, there was nothing good there. What had it done when she first saw it? It had sniffed the air… and then again when it was following Sokka's path. Could it be… that it relied on its sense of smell? She hadn't see any eyes on the beast, so it was logical.

_Now, only to do something with this weakness…_

You'd think that surrounded with a village full of sweet-smelling perfumes, she would have gotten the plan quicker but it took Katara a good few minutes to realise this seemingly obvious fact.

"Quick!" she ordered, "Spill the perfume! As much as you can!"

The Sister stuttered, hesitant. "A-Are you sure?"

"If you want to save this village! Trust me!"

The nuns quickly obliged after a few moments. Rows upon rows of perfume pots were pushed over until the scents were making even Katara sneeze. She stood ankle-depth in the large puddle full of perfume then began to move her arms in a flowing motion. The liquid began to flow to her movements, reaching up until it became a huge wave. Making a grunt of concentration, she brought down the small tsunami onto the Xir-Xiu, covering it with the smelly substances.

The animal sneezed, halting in its chase. Whipping at it mercilessly, the bounty hunter was treated with a slap of the Xir-Xiu's tongue, immobilising her.

Somehow throughout all this mess, Iroh had arrived and the dark-haired woman _coincidentally _fell upon him. She scowled but was powerless to do anything about their position, having to settle with lying upon a perverted old man (well, he certainly acted that way towards her).

Katara grinned. She had done it. She had really done it. She wasn't useless, wasn't just the damsel in distress.

_I protected Aang._

Sokka dismounted Appa and rushed over to his sister, swooping her into a bear hug. "I thought I lost you again," he murmured, "I don't ever want to lose more of my family again." Suddenly he was crying and she was crying and then Aang was there and _he _was crying.

It was a very emotional moment, Katara would reflect.

Eventually they separated. Aang and Sokka went to apologise to the nuns but received only smiles and choruses of _"Don't worry. It's no trouble at all." _Katara stood alone, her arms wrapped around herself for comfort. Out of habit, her fingers moved to her neck to touch the crystal and feel its soothing surface but met only bare skin. How could she have forgotten?

Warily, she made her way over to Zuko; her hands were poised ready to waterbend, just in case. He was obviously still paralysed, as his golden eyes watched her with a malicious hate and also… _shame_? Her mother's necklace was held loosely in his hand and she gently pried it from him before tying it around her neck.

"Pea…sant…" he muttered weakly.

"Thank you for looking after it for me," she responded scathingly. "Good bye, Zuko. I hope we never run into each other again."

"You wait… peasant… you just… wait…"

Katara tried her best to show that she was not intimidated by his words—really, she had heard so many of his threats, felt the heat of his fists so many times—but could not suppress the way her hands trembled. He seemed to have noticed, as his thin lips curved slightly into a smug smirk.

"Katara!" Sokka called, "Let's go!"

One more look to the paralysed prince, then the peasant was gone.

-

Katara pursed her lips apprehensively. Aang had seen the posters for a traditional Fire Nation festival in a nearby village (and they had also seen wanted posters for the Legendary Avatar). It seemed nothing—including curd-puffs—could deter him from attending the celebration. He promised the Water Tribe siblings that he would do nothing to attract attention and simply blend in the crowd, watching the firebenders, jugglers and magicians perform. And to Sokka, he added that there would be _tons _of special food. Delicious, mouth-watering, satisfying food.

"I _swear _that I'll behave. Just for a little while… _please_?" Not the puppy-dog eyes. Katara was not strong enough to withstand the Avatar's pitiful look that demanded sympathy (and a big hug).

"I don't know," she whispered, "We should really be making our way to the North Pole…" Aang only had until the end of that summer to master three elements, after all. Katara had offered all she could about water-bending but only knew the basics herself (and she had never had a teacher, learning all her skills by herself).

Sokka agreed. "We've wasted too much time already. At this rate, we'll never get through all three elements before summer has ended. I say we just leave now. There will be plenty of festivals after we saved the world." He stated it in such a way that Katara didn't think he was very interested in having the world's future on his shoulders. In fact, the thought seemed to bore him.

Aang then protested, saying that he could finally see a master fire-bender at work and see how they did it. He would be using the time efficiently, having fun _and _learning at the same time!

Personally, Katara thought they had seen enough firebending, thank you very much.

With more persuasive looks, Katara surrendered. "I guess we could go check it out."

"_What_?" Sokka questioned incredulously. "You want to walk into a Fire Nation town with them all fired up with their… you know… fire…" he trailed off, suddenly feeling quite stupid. Was his sister thinking right?

"We'll be fine if we have disguises. And if it looks like there's going to be trouble, we'll leave."

Sokka's eyes drooped. "Yeah, because we always leave before the trouble starts," he stated cynically before sighing and following the others towards the village. _Aang + Party Disaster, _Sokka mused but did not continue the argument.

After assuming their disguises (and laughing over Aang's pitiful excuse for a cover), they walked into the Fire Nation town. Little children holding fire on sticks ran in front of them, giggling and smiling. Katara resisted the sudden urge to tell them to put the sticks away before they hurt themselves. A colourful lizard-like thing crossed their path and the group stepped back in alarm, seeing nothing like that before.

Looking around, Katara noticed that everyone was wearing masks. "I think we need new disguises," she muttered and walked over to a stand selling "_Genuine Fire Festival Masks"_. She glanced over the varied collection, finding it hard to decide which one she would buy.

Something inside poked painfully at the idea of masks and disguises, but she ignored it. _I don't care about him. I hope I never have to see him again._

Unfortunately, Fate is rarely that kind.

-

The Sisters had moved the trio about a mile away from their abbey but had done nothing else—quoting that they believed in peace first and foremost and that they should follow their good example. Zuko had scoffed at that, and received a glare in return. They had, however, searched his uncle Iroh and removed the perfume bottle he had concealed in a hidden pocket in his armour.

Prince Zuko had scoffed at that too.

The bounty hunter had recovered first, departing without a word, even when Iroh waved with no sign of his supposed paralysis. Frustratingly, it was a good fifteen minutes before Zuko could stand on his feet.

He rubbed his neck, feeling his muscles ache at the sudden movement again.

"Where to now, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked. Zuko frowned, wondering why his uncle did not find their next plan of action obvious.

"To get the Avatar, of course."

Zuko missed the sigh from his Uncle and began to walk away, following the direction he had seen the air-bison fly towards.


	13. Porcelain

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** And on to **Book One: Water, Chapter Fifteen: Bato of the Water Tribe** (the third and final part) and also **Book One: Water, Chapter Sixteen: The Deserter**.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XIII: Porcelain**

"Hurry up, Katara," Sokka whined impatiently, "Just pick a mask!"

But there was such a multifarious collection to choose from! The colours were mostly brilliant shades of red and majestic tones of gold but there were examples of other bright colours such as blue, green, yellow, orange and even purple. Creatures depicted in the disguises varied from fierce-looking dragons to the purest of Fire Nation maidens.

Katara's hand ran over the surface of one particular mask displaying a young woman, admiring the smooth texture of the porcelain. Finally picking it up, she went to pay the stall-owner only to have the coins returned; the masks were free for this festival.

After correcting Sokka and Aang's masks (her sour brother had originally had received the cheery sun whilst the cheery Avatar had gotten the sour mask), Katara handed them each some coins—they were Fire Nation money, so they would not be suspicious—and was about to lecture Aang to be discrete, and instruct Sokka to have fun when both boys simply disappeared. She guessed where they would be (Sokka eating at the food stands and Aang watching the firebending) so simply smiled behind her mask and glanced around for a stall that she could be interested in.

A jewellery booth caught her eye, its gold trinkets twinkling at her, as if hypnotising her into taking a look.

The craftsmanship was superb; there were foot-long dragons made entirely of gold (and rubies for the eyes) with its tail twisting around its body and each detail from its razor-sharp teeth to each individual scale was moulded to perfection, regal statues of past Fire Lords that managed to tell so much about their power and honour with simply a facial expression and their body language and ornate necklaces—some thin, some thick—with pendants of different words and symbols.

All the jewellery and trinkets were fashioned from gold, as this metal was famously part of the Fire Nation just as platinum and silver were associated with the Water Tribes, copper with the Air Nomads and iron and bronze with the Earth Kingdom. Silver, in her opinion, was much more attractive but gold just screamed power and radiance, whereas silver whispered of serenity.

Gazing over the different items, one certain necklace gained her attention.

She supposed that it was because it reminded her of her own. Its band was (obviously) a thin gold chain but its pendant was a circular ruby with the Fire Nation symbol engraved into the stone. Although it looked quite light, Katara knew it had to be expensive.

"Ah, I see you have good taste. Are you going to purchase it?"

Katara's head snapped up, stuttering over her words. The stand-owner was a greying man with thick spectacles (lines beside his eyes were crinkled, he must have been smiling). He did wear a mask, but it was only over his mouth and nose; it looked like a lizard's snout. "N-no… I was just… browsing…"

"Okay then," he said, still sounding cheerful, "Although I'm sure it would look beautiful upon such a pretty girl's neck."

She wondered how he knew she was a 'pretty girl' when she was wearing a mask to cover her face, but smiled behind her disguise anyway and left the stall, on the lookout for her next stop.

Gee, her feet really hurt from all the walking (and running) they had been doing. _And look at my skin, _she anguished as she rubbed her hands, _it's all dry since I ran out of that special seaweed lotion! _Judging by Zuko's dry skin—or what she assumed it was (out of spite), completely ignoring the softness and warmth from his skin when he had grabbed her wrists numerous times—she guessed that the Fire Nation didn't supply similar lotions.

That is, until she heard someone from a nearby booth hollering.

"Are your feet aching like you've been walking for days?" It couldn't be… "Is your skin as dry as a komodo rhino's hide?" Katara turned around, trying to find the source of the yelling, "Do you need some good ole pampering to get you re-energised? Well, look no further! Here at Madame Li's Beauty Stall, you can solve these problems, and many more! We also cater to warts and bunions!"

The Spirits must have been feeling merciful to Katara at last.

She walked over to the larger-than-normal stand and stood in front of quite a plump woman wearing a mask depicting another Fire Nation maiden, this time with much more make-up on. "Ah, a customer!" she squealed, "Please, please! Take a seat!"

Laughing nervously at the woman's eccentric behaviour, Katara sat down on what seemed to be a mix between a bed and a chair. And it was very comfortable, she added with a sigh as she squirmed to get in the most comfortable position.

"I'm afraid I can't do anything to your face, as it is customary in this festival to keep our masks on, but I shall give you a pedicure and a manicure. How does that sounds?"

_Heavenly, _she wanted to answer but instead chose: "Great!"

And so the slightly chubby woman got to work, putting lotions on her dry skin and buffering her nails before painting them a rich red that "complimented her dark skin". Genuinely smiling at the Fire Nation lady, she took off her slippers and allowed the beautician to start working on her feet.

_This is what I need_, she mused to herself; _after all this running we've been doing, trying to get away from Zuko… _Her muscles tensed, reminiscing all of the run-ins she had had with the Fire Nation prince. When she had been waterbending, recently when that woman's strange animal paralysed her, when she had staggered through the smoke and when he had disguised himself as the—

Someone wearing normal Fire Nation robes was walking past; but the clothes weren't bothering her—it was the mask. A blue and white mask displaying something that could only resemble a demon. If the person behind the mask was who she thought it was, then the demonic mask fit them perfectly. She could not be completely sure, however, because he was wearing a hood over the back of his head.

"Th-thank you," Katara stumbled over her words as she jumped out of the seat and put money in the stall-owner's hands. "I-I have to g-go…"

Rushing in the opposite direction, she ignored the woman's calls: "Don't you want your change?"

_Come on, Katara! Faster! Faster! Too slow! Do you _want _to be captured again? _In her haste, she had forgotten her slippers at the stall so was forced to run on the cobble-stones barefoot. Needless to say, her feet felt even worse than before.

Glancing behind her, the waterbender wasn't looking where she was going and therefore bumped into someone so hard that she fell backwards onto her behind. After blinking a few times and rubbing her sore bottom, she looked up to see her brother stuffing his face with food. His mask was under his arm; it was useless for eating, after all.

"Sokka!" she gasped, standing up and holding his hand tightly for an emotional support.

"Wha's the ruf Ka'ara?"

"I thought… I thought I saw…" Wait a second, if she told Sokka who she saw then he would get all stressful and order that they leave and Aang would miss out on the chance to see some firebending that he didn't have to dodge or counter for once. But if she kept it a secret, Zuko could find Aang and take him back to the Fire Nation; they would lose their chance to save the world, and also a best friend.

Still stuffing his face with food, Sokka asked "Thaw' you saw wha'?"

"Nothing, nothing," she waved her hand dismissively, forcing herself to calm down. Where's Aang?"

He shrugged, swallowing the food. "Watching the firebending show, I guess."

"Where is it?"

"In the centre. I passed by it but it's just someone cocky like Zuko—" Katara flinched and luckily, Sokka did not notice, "—but prettier. A firebending magician, or something like that. If you ask me, the food here is much more interesting although it doesn't even come close to the food from home. Do you know that I ate a lizard! …I'm not complaining though; it was quite good."

"I'll see you later, Sokka!" Katara shouted behind her as she weaved her way through the crowds to find Aang.

Suddenly there was a hand on her wrist and she was dragged into a nearby alleyway. The breath was knocked out of her lungs as she was thrown against the wall with a firm, warm body pressed up against her. A blue and white mask leered down at her; Katara was too shocked to even try and squirm out of his hold. It was all too familiar, too much like that time in the Fire Nation fortress…

"Well, well, well, what's a waterbender like you doing in a place like this?"

Recovering from the shock, Katara struggled against him. "I'm not letting you capture me again, Zuko!"

"Zuko?" he laughed and reached up for his mask, taking it off. "As you can see… I'm not _His Honourless _Prince Zuko."

Katara gulped. No, he wasn't Zuko.

He was much, much worse.

-

Iroh looked to Zuko, who was scanning the town in front of him. Even from here they could hear the people's laughter and singing; the city was holding the annual Fire Festival—something this particular area was famous for. Fire-twirlers, acrobatics, magicians, fireworks and the best of Fire Nation cuisine would attract thousands of people from all over the Fire Nation islands.

It had been a festival Zuko had enjoyed thoroughly as a child.

"Prince Zuko, don't you want to go into the city now? We'll miss the fireworks if we don't hurry up!"

His nephew did not reply, still staring at the large town before them. Flames could be seen from the centre; some fire-benders must have been performing. Claps and cheers were heard immediately afterwards—obviously, the spectators had been impressed.

"Zuko?"

"I don't want to see the fireworks, uncle…" he paused, turning his back to the city, "Let's hurry. The Avatar won't be stopping here."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay just to watch the show?"

"I said 'let's hurry', uncle. It's pointless to waste our time watching amateur firebending!"

He didn't think it was amateur firebending when he was a child. In fact, he was awed by the different shapes and uses for fire and how talented the benders were in manipulating them. Iroh sighed.

"Okay, Prince Zuko."

-

Sokka found Aang in a crowd watching a firebending magician do his encore. "You seen Katara?" he asked as he fished out the remainder of his fire flakes from the packet.

The Avatar shook his head, "I walked past her at a beauty stall thing. She looked pretty relaxed so I didn't want to disturb her."

"Huh, girls," Sokka muttered.

"Girls," Aang nodded.

-

* * *

_So who's the guy that's worse than Zuko? Come on, come on, take a guess! _


	14. Pleasantries

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** This starts off with flashbacks from previous chapters.

Hm. It took a lot of effort for me to keep this K-plus, but I think I managed. It wasn't necessarily swearing, just… certain thoughts from a certain person. Because deep down inside, everyone knows he (you know who I mean when you read the story) is a psychotic pervert.

Oh yes, and thank you all for your _brilliant _reviews. Over forty for the last chapter! Well, I am honoured. So you can all have a Zhao AND Jet plushie! To cuddle, or to maim—it's up to you.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XIV: Pleasantries**

_Zuko gripped onto her wrists and pulled her away. She was still speechless, and unable to form any sort of resistance or struggle. "Wait a second!" Jet called from his prison of ice, "You're just going to go with him? The son of the tyrant Fire Lord?"_

_Katara glanced to Zuko, then back to Jet. "I'd rather be a prisoner of the Fire Nation, than be in alliance with a traitor."_

_-_

_The girl was still being held in Zhao's merciless hands, and staring at them. He hated the look contained deep within those watery orbs—they screamed of vulnerability and... _Betrayal_. He had made no promises, so why did he feel guilty? He was her enemy, even if he was disguised as someone else. The Blue Spirit valued the Avatar's life above hers, and his 'honour' above that._

_Don't stop, his reasoning instructed him, go on while you have the chance._

_And yet nothing could stop him from gesturing out with one hand for the girl to be released._

_-_

"_Huh, girls," Sokka muttered._

"_Girls," Aang nodded._

-

"_I said 'let's hurry', uncle. It's pointless to waste our time watching amateur firebending!"_

"_Okay, Prince Zuko."_

-

"_Zuko?" he laughed and reached up for his mask, taking it off. "As you can see… I'm not _His Honourless_ Prince Zuko."_

_Katara gulped. No, he wasn't Zuko._

_He was much, much worse._

-

* * *

- 

"Jet!" she gasped as she struggled to put distance between them, trying to back up through the stone wall behind her. "What are you doing here!"

"Nice to see you too, Katara," Jet responded with a roguish smirk—one that would have made her knees buckle before… before she found out what he was. "I think the question is what are _you _doing here?"

"Wha… But… H-How? How do you know? I'm wearing a mask!"

"Silly Katara," he murmured as he threw her mask to the side then stroked her dark hair. She flinched away from his touch. "I saw you when you first entered the city, before you put on your mask and I've just been following you ever since… who was that boy you were talking to? He's from the Water Tribe too… a boyfriend?"

"He's my brother." She hissed out venomously.

"Ah, that's good," he moved closer, his breath fanning her face. "But wait—I haven't said hello properly yet." He tilted his head and moved her hand near his face before pecking it (huh, a psychotic murderer acting like a perfect gentleman). "Red, hm?" he asked, noticing the crimson nail polish before his face moved closer to hers, now less than an inch away. "I think green would look _much _better on you…"

She pulled her hand out of his grip before pushing him away angrily, "No, I think blue is more my colour," she sneered as she crossed her arms defiantly. "What are you doing here? What do you want?"

He smirked, undeterred by her rejection. "Our parting last time was so abrupt… I was merely making sure you were okay. Out of that firebender's grip, anyway, but in the middle of a Fire Nation festival? It's like you're just _asking _for trouble."

"We're being careful; we have disguises, and I'm more than capable of handling myself against firebenders should I need to escape. Hm, but you already know that, right?" Katara smirked, reminding him of their 'parting'.

He did not scowl (as Zuko would), blush (as Aang would), or stutter (as Sokka would). Instead, he smiled blankly, once again invading her personal space. "Yes, I am well aware of your capabilities. Intelligence, beauty and power… you really are a package," he winked. A red blush consumed her cheeks as she spluttered over her words. He wasn't meant to compliment her! He was meant to get angry, and make a complete fool of himself.

Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable, as his body was now less than an inch away. "W-What? G-Get away!"

"As the lady wishes," he whispered in her ear seductively before taking a step back. She watched him for a few moments, noticing that he hadn't changed his looks at all—his hair still looked drop-dead gorg—

_Focus, Katara! Focus! Now just wait a few moments, and then make a run for it! Ready and… GO!_

Yet another of her plans was ruined when he gripped her wrist. "Whoa there, Katara. You can't go into a town full of firebenders on your own. Waterbender or not, there's only one of you, and hundreds of them. What if something bad happened? There's no one out there to protect you… to… uh…" he glanced down and tilted his head, making it obvious just what he was trying to see (luckily, since they were face to face, this was impossible), "_'Watch your back'_." _Ugh, you pervert, _she growled mentally in disgust.

"I seemed to have done pretty well so far. And I'd rather take my chances in the public streets with firebenders than in a dark alleyway with _you_. Goodbye, Jet. I'm leaving." She yanked her hand out of his grip and turned to storm her way out of the alley. However, before she could reach the exit, she felt something hard hit her head. Darkness overwhelmed her instantly.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that… Katara…"

-

"Ah, I see the fireworks have begun," Iroh stated as he turned to observe the brightly coloured sparks lighting the sky. Zuko grunted, continuing to walk without glancing behind. He didn't have to turn; he could hear the bangs, screeches and whooshes followed by cheers from the large crowds. "Prince Zuko, we have been walking for quite some time now. I think we should rest."

No answer. Zuko was still walking away.

"Zuko? We should—"

"Rest if you want, uncle!" the prince snapped. Iroh, however, didn't as much as flinch, used to his nephew's outbursts. "I'll come back for you in twenty minutes."

Infuriated, Zuko pushed the overgrown foliage out of his way with a growl. Couldn't his uncle see that they didn't have _time _to rest? He was so close, so unbelievably close to capturing the Avatar and regaining everything that he had lost.

If only that water wench hadn't stepped in and ruined _everything_. He shouldn't have captured her that fateful day by the river, should have left her to practice her pitiful waterbending or even left her alone to starve and rot when her comrades abandoned her. Shouldn't have told her the truth about the Earth Kingdom rebel, shouldn't have rescued her from Zhao, shouldn't have held onto her before she fell off the Xir-Xiu…

How had he allowed himself to make so many mistakes? When it came to that little waterbender, he was always slipping up, forgetting his prime target: the Avatar.

_Not anymore; _he promised to himself. _Next time she is in any sort of danger, I will leave her. I'm not meant to be her knight in shining armour—she has her idiotic brother for that, or even the Avatar._

A tinge in his stomach. Probably hunger. He did not think about how it occurred just after having the thought of the Avatar rescuing her instead of himself.

Really, he didn't _care_.

Peasants from the Water Tribe were not worthy of his attentions. She was weak, stupid, naïve, ugly—

_Well, maybe not _uglyone part of him whispered, conjuring the mental image of her bright blue eyes (betrayed, happy, relieved, crying, narrowed, shocked, scared…) and long brown hair.

Her skin—softer and cooler than his hot, callused palms—was darker than his own, and complimented her eyes, making them seem like sapphires.

Zuko suddenly grimaced.

_Great. That darn water peasant has me—_enchanted—_brainwashed._

He slapped his face, slowly dragging it down.

_Stupid peasant._

-

Katara groaned as she awoke, head pounding and mouth dry. "W…W-Where… am I?" the waterbender whispered groggily, her eyes slowly opening to observe that it was still night, but instead of stalls and buildings, she could only see forest. Lots and lots of forest.

_You got yourself captured again, Katara. Congratulations. Damsel-in-distress, much? You're pathetic._

She told the stupid inner voice to shut up as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She remembered an alleyway, a mask and…

"So," a voice a few yards away from her said, "You're finally awake."

Looking around for water, (anything would do, just _some _water she could bend…) Katara shakily got to her feet. "I swear…" she grumbled to herself, "Last time… _Ever_… Stupid Zuko… Stupid Jet… I'll chain myself… to Appa… now I know… what Aang feels like…"

Jet sauntered over to her with that constant smug smirk on his tanned features. Her anger was rising, eyes narrowing to mere slits.

Too preoccupied with his mental gloating, Jet didn't see the small fist until it was too late. Katara's uppercut managed to catch him under the chin and the force made him stumble backwards.

"That's for knocking me unconscious and kidnapping me, you jerk!" she hissed before turning and running for her freedom. If Prince Zuko was any way to anticipate teenage boy behaviour, he'd be after her blood. Then again, the firebending prince was hardly a 'normal teenage boy'. But Sokka would do the same.

Except he wasn't quite normal either, she added as an afterthought. Perhaps no teenage boys were 'normal'.

Running for a few more minutes, Katara chanced a look behind her—he wasn't in sight; good—only to bump into something _in front _of her. Falling back on her behind (she was doing that too much today), she looked up at the human wall she had bumped into.

Gold met sapphire.

Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation reached towards her to help her up.

Shrieking, the waterbender got to her feet, kicked the firebender in the shin then ran off again.

_And now I have _two _psychotic teenage boys after me, _she thought bitterly. _Great going, Katara._

-

Zuko had been walking through the forest to gather when his thoughts when a blur of blue and brown suddenly bumped into him. He was about to shout at the person now on the floor (Who did they think they were? Bumping into the Prince of the Fire Nation like that…) but suddenly paused.

Gold met sapphire.

_Speak of the devil herself! _He had just been thinking of her a few moments ago—not that he would say this aloud, of course. What was she doing here? Near Fire Nation territory, no less! Hn, well it wouldn't be the first time. That idiotic water peasant didn't have an ounce of common sense in her.

Focusing on her appearance, Zuko noticed a thin path of dried blood on the side of her face. Something in his chest constricted. _Injured? What happened? She must be running from whoever did that… _He held his hand out, intent on discovering who did this to her and making them suf—wait! What? Why would _he _care? She was just a simple peasant; just an ugly, stupid, naïve, weak waterbender!

Her sudden screaming brought him out of his thoughts as the dark-haired girl got onto her feet on her own and lashed out at him, kicking his shin, before making a speedy exit before he could grab her long braid.

Rubbing the throbbing area she had attacked, the prince cursed the fact that despite being in armour, he was not wearing his leg-guards.

"Typical," he grunted before going to find his Uncle. The twenty minutes had to be up by now.

When he finally located the retired general, he was sipping tea (where he got the tea-cup, Zuko did not know, nor did he really _want _to know). He noticed Zuko's odd walk and raised one bushy eyebrow.

"Zuko! You got drunk and didn't invite me?" he questioned, "Humph, some nephew! Doesn't even take his good uncle to the—"

"Uncle!" Zuko growled.

-

"Hey, Katara, where you been?" Sokka asked as his sister walked up to them wearily. She lifted a hand in greeting as she panted, obviously too tired to talk. The elder sibling and the Avatar were currently munching on a bag of fire flakes. Once you got used to the extreme spiciness, it wasn't that bad. Tasty, even. Luckily, Aang hadn't completely removed his mask, only lifted it up slightly so he could have access to his mouth. "Huh! You're bleeding! What happened?"

"O-Oh…" the waterbender put her hand up to her temple to wipe away the dried blood (it took some scrubbing). "I just fell," she chuckled nervously, "You know how clumsy I can be."

Sokka's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, penetrating her with his I'm-your-brother-so-I-know-exactly-what-you-did-and-what-you're-thinking-now-so-don't-try-to-hide-anything-because-I'll-tell-Mom gaze. _He sussed it out, _Katara anguished as her head slung in defeat.

"Are you… drunk?" Sokka questioned.

Katara's head whipped up so fast that her injury began aching again, "Sokka! Who would sell me alcohol?"

"Well this _is _a Fire Nation town. They lack morals; they'd probably give a little baby a drink if they could!" Katara whacked her brother on the head for being so dense (although she should expect such beliefs from the prejudiced Sokka). "Well, you sure weren't walking in a straight line," he rebuked.

"I'm just tired, that's all," Katara protested. "Can we go back to camp now? I just want to rest and the Festival is already closing."

"Sure, Katara," Aang finally piped in, his mask down. "Let's go!"

-

* * *

Congratulations to all of you who guessed Jet! And well done to those that guessed Zhao; I did think of him, but Zuko and Jet's 'bodies' are more similar. 

And if you picked up proof (such as "His Honourless") then you are great! You deserve a cookie, but I have none. So... oh well.


	15. Promise?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_  
_**Notes:** Skipped Episode 17 so straight into **Book One: Water, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master**. Although I have changed the order of things slightly to assist my Zutara-fied version.

Hm. Found most of this chapter difficult, but the end was fun.

NOTE: I couldn't find any lyrics for Iroh's 'Four Seasons' song (and it seems so simple that you wouldn't bother) so I'm just basing it on what I heard (yes, I downloaded the episode to check, hehe).

**SMOKE **

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2006

**Part XV: Promise? **

Katara frowned, getting onto her knees before sitting on her ankles. She had left her shoes behind in the Fire Nation village, so was left barefoot. Now that they were heading further north, the temperature was getting colder. She had lost all feeling in her toes, and vaguely wondered if it was cold enough to get frostbite. Why oh why had she lost her socks those few weeks ago? And why had she left her shoes at that stall in the first place?

Then again, she had been scared out of her mind.

Sokka had offered her his old set of socks but the holes, stench and the pure fact that it was _Sokka's _had put her off; she preferred her current predicament.

"Katara? Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?" the waterbender looked to her brother shaking his boomerang at her with a deep frown on his face, "I'm sorry, Sokka. I was just spacing out there…"

He snorted, crossing his arms, "Tell me about it. Ever since we went to that Fire Festival, you've been acting strange… well, stranger than usual. Are you sure nothing happened?" A sudden feeling of realisation passed over his face, his grip tightening over his weapon. "Oh no, you didn't…"

Impossible! Sokka couldn't have figured out what had happened; she had been far too careful with her spiderweb of lies—mentally, she slapped herself, since when had she become so dishonest?—for her dense brother to pick up anything. "You must understand, Sokka! I didn't mean… It was all… Just the wrong place at the wrong ti—"

"You stole again, didn't you? I can't believe this! After what happened last time with that waterbending scroll, I thought you were smarter than this! You're so lucky you didn't get captured again. Sheesh, Katara, do you need constant supervision?"

"E-Eh?" Katara blinked a few times before scratching the back of her head nervously, "C-Captured? Of course not! I mean, that was one… _two_-time thing," she laughed, "And I didn't steal anything either. Like that Fire Nation junk was worth it anyway, haha… ha…" she finished weakly, hoping to aim for Sokka's hatred towards the Fire Nation.

The boomerang-wielding teenager paused, his mouth open ready for a rant but then closed abruptly as he sighed. "Well, I suppose you're right."

_That was close, _Katara smiled at her brother. "So what is it you wanted to say?"

"Appa's tired so we're gonna stop at the nearest shoreline," Aang filled in for Sokka, "Unfortunately we're still in Fire Nation territory but as long as we stay away from the shore and populated areas, we should be fine. We'll make the final bit of the journey to the North Pole tomorrow."

"Okay," Katara agreed, "But… If I had a disguise… could I go into a village to buy some shoes? If the North Pole is anything like back home, I could get frostbite up there. And I like having ten toes, you know."

Sokka was once again pointing his boomerang at her. "No! I offered you my socks, you know, and you rejected them! And you wanted to visit _another _Fire Nation town? Nope! Absolutely not! No way! Nuh-uh! _Not_ gonna happen!"

The waterbender pouted. After a few seconds, her lips extended into a smirk, and Sokka knew he was about to be submerged in mortal peril.

Around ten minutes later, Katara was slowly placing the water she had used back in the ocean. They were by a shore, but would be camping in a spot hidden behind the thick foliage. Even Appa was well disguised.

"Right, so I'll be back in four hours, okay?"

Sokka grumbled from his sitting position beside a tree, a bruise where Katara's single water whip had smacked him smartly on the cheek. "I still don't think this is a good idea. We were lucky last time, but you're pushing it now."

"Sokka, I wouldn't have had to be gone so long if you didn't throw the money into the ocean as an act of defiance," her brother rubbed his cheek, she had definitely got him back for that one though, "So I'll have to have a temporary job to pay for the slippers. Besides, I'll take the bison whistle so I can call for you if I do get into any sort of trouble." He continued to mumble to himself; Katara ignored him and turned to Aang. "I'm sure he'll calm down soon."

Grey eyes softened in concern, "Be careful, Katara. I… _We _can't lose you again. If you do see Zuko, call us, okay?"

If only it was just Prince Zuko she had to watch out for. Katara stepped closer to Aang and wrapped her arms around him, "I will."

"Promise?" he returned the hug.

Pulling away, Katara smiled. "I promise."

-

Meanwhile, in a Fire Nation military base a few islands away; Admiral Zhao was standing in front of a world map, generals, commanders and captains seated behind him. Surveying the map in front of him, his eyes roamed upwards to the northernmost land, coloured a light blue to demonstrate the freezing temperatures.

He smirked, turning to his audience, knowing that their eyes and ears were focused on him. Soon the whole Fire Nation would look up to him, and then he would have the whole world listen to his awe-inspiring speeches. "He's heading north," Zhao began, knowing that they understood who 'he' was, "The Northern Water Tribe. The Avatar needs to master waterbending. He's looking for a teacher…" he trailed off, glancing back to the map.

"Then what are we waiting for?" one captain spoke up, "Let's go get him!"

"Patience, Captain Li; this isn't just some little Earth Kingdom village we can just march right into. The Water Tribe is a great nation." Although not as grand as their Fire Nation, he thought with a smirk as he once again turned his attentions towards the map on the wall before walking around the table that his listeners occupied. "There is a reason they have survived a hundred years of war. The frozen tundra is treacherous—the landscape itself is an icy fortress…"

He stopped at the opposite end of the room.

"We'll need a massive invasion force."

-

On a Fire Nation ship recently docked on the same island the Avatar occupied (although this was unknown to the crew), lights from torches flickered and the melodic strumming from a perfectly tuned pipa could be heard, played by the surprisingly musical Lieutenant Jee. Soon the bass joined in, and after that: the voice, provided by the Dragon of the West, the retired General Iroh.

In front of the instrumentalists, two of the crew danced together.

_"Winter, spring, summer and fall,  
Winter, spring, summer and fall,  
Four seasons, four loves,  
Four seasons for love…" _

And Zhao took this opportunity to appear on their boat, with two firebenders in full armour accompanying him, indicating that he meant business. Startled, Jee plucked a very out-of-tune note before the deck was swamped with silence.

"Why, hello, Admiral Zhao," Iroh finally greeted, no indication of the uneasy tension amongst them all, "And what a lovely night it is to be in your presence. May I inquire the reason for your much appreciated visit?"

"Courteous as always, Great Dragon of the West," Zhao replied, his tone mocking Iroh's title instead of revering it. "But I have no time for idle chit-chat. I am in need of a few extra hands…" he paused, smirking, "And your crew just happens to be in the vicinity."

If Iroh was surprised, he did not show it. "I see; I shall have to speak with Prince Zuko and get back to you on that—"

"No need," Zhao interrupted, holding up a document stamped with the Fire Lord's approval, "I have the warrant right here. I'll come speak to the banished prince myself."

Iroh hurried after the admiral making his way towards the main chambers, "I am not sure if that is such a good idea! Perhaps I should first prepare him for your appearance? I believe my nephew is currently asleep. Big day and all."

Zhao scowled, "Fine. But I shall still accompany you." Outwardly, Iroh smiled politely but truly, he grimaced at the thought of Zuko's reaction.

They soon approached the steel door leading to Zuko's room. Zhao grinned at the simplicity of it; his door on his ship was always painted grandly, and had his name etched on it in gold. After all, it was nothing but the best for the _future _Fire Lord.

Iroh knocked on it with a gentle double tap of his knuckles, but it should have been loud enough to alert the prince inside. After receiving no answer (and being mindful of the impatient firebender beside him), the retired general opened it slightly and peeked his head through to see Zuko leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"For the last time," Zuko spat moodily, "I'm _not _playing the Sunghi Horn!" Iroh silently sighed; his nephew had been in a bad temper ever since that walk of his near the Fire Festival. Iroh had no idea why, but by guessing by his slight limp, he had tripped over a stump or perhaps even a rock. Zuko always did value his pride highly.

"No, it's about our plan," Iroh said almost sadly, knowing that Zuko's mood was just about to get an awful lot worse. "There is a _bit _of a problem."

His uncle moved away from the door, and Admiral Zhao stepped in smugly, a smarmy expression occupying his face. Ever the impatient man, Zhao spoke bluntly and without any sort of introduction. "I'm taking your crew."

"_WHAT?" _Zuko exclaimed, pushing himself away from the wall to take on a threatening position.

Zhao was not deterred by his outraged features, walking towards Zuko so they were less than a few feet apart. "I've recruited them for a little _expedition_ to the North Pole." He held up the decree, signed by Zuko's own father, arrogantly.

Hardly believing that this was real, the prince glanced to the only one other than himself he could trust: his uncle. "Is this true?"

"I'm afraid so," Iroh verified, "He's taken everyone…" he put his sleeve to his face as he pretended to sob (it was an attempt to lighten the situation, despite knowing that it could not work), "Even the cook!"

"Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar," Zhao teased, his voice egging Zuko to do something Iroh desperately did not want him to do, "But I can't have you getting in my way again."

Snarling in fury, Zuko lunged forward only to be thwarted by his uncle. "No!" Iroh scolded; Zuko had beaten Zhao once, true, but he did not have a clear head at the current moment, and since it was not a legal Agni Kai if they fought now, Zuko would only be punished for attacking a high-ranking officer of the Fire Nation. Admiral Zhao smirked, casting his eyes around the banished prince's pitiful chambers. His were at least twice this size.

His eyes suddenly centred on two long dao broadswords, placed on the wall in an 'X' position. He stepped closer, his mind jumbling with thoughts and flashbacks. He had seen these weapons before…

_Twin broadswords flying wildly, parrying all attacks but striking blows at the same time. _

_Both swords in front of the Avatar, threatening to spill blood if his requests were not met. _

_A stare-off, as two demons—one masked, one armoured—fought for dominance using merely their eyes. _

_And what eyes they were: the black pits of sheer oblivion, framed with calming blue and pure white. _

_The Blue Spirit. _

Zhao's hand reached for the weapons, removing one from the stand to stare at it in his hands. He lifted it and rotated his wrist, admiring how light yet dangerous it was. The blade was razor sharp and there was no way of mistaking it: these were the swords 'The Blue Spirit' used.

Zuko, who had turned to see the admiral staring at the weapons before taking one, was speechless, his good eye wide and his mouth now agape. Numerous curses filled his mind; there was nothing to do now. He had figured it out.

_No, no, _the ever-strong part of Zuko hissed. _You can't be sure, and if he does know, he can't prove it. You got rid of the mask. You. Got. Rid. Of. The. Mask. They're just antiques. There are more than one set in the world. Uncle Iroh will vouch for you. Just relax, and lie through your teeth. You've seen enough people do it to be capable yourself. _

"I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko," Zhao commented, still swinging the weapon about.

Zuko swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing that if he was referring to him as _'Prince'_, something was up. "I'm not," he answered, surprisingly strong, "They're antiques…" He turned away, wondering if his one working eye would betray his inner thoughts, "Just decorative."

"Have you heard of 'The Blue Spirit', General Iroh?" the admiral questioned, feeling the well-maintained condition of the blade.

"Just rumours," Iroh stated firmly (Zuko panicked—had his uncle seen through his lies too?), "I don't think he is real."

Zhao walked back over to the pair, still holding the sword, "Oh, he's real all right. He's a criminal," his golden eyes peered into Zuko's own, aiming his words at the teenager, "And an enemy to the Fire Nation," he passed the object to Iroh, who accepted it without a word, "But I have a feeling that _justice _will catch up with him soon."

He marched to the door, stopping when he was standing directly in the doorframe.

"General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands… if you change your mind."

And with that he shut the door, leaving the prince and the retired general in silence.

But no words were needed.

-

"Oh! Look at these delightful sandals! They would be just perfect for walking of the sands of the Fire Nation beaches, wouldn't you agree?"

Katara giggled at the sound of the very enthusiastic (and slightly familiar… but she shook away this notion) voice from the front of the shop but quickly returned to her job of sorting out the boxes of shoes and putting the same styles together. She had had the fortune of coming across a shoe-shop, and the elderly woman had instantly commented on her lack of footwear, and asked if she would like any shoes. But since business was so bad, she could not give them away for free. However, in exchange for a two hours' work, she could have any shoes she wanted.

The waterbender has set her sights on a pair of grey furry boots as they were the closest thing to the fashions of the Water Tribe she could find. And it looked warm and sturdy—perfect for the climate of the North Pole.

Now she was working off her last few minutes kneeling on the slightly dusty floor. It had fallen dark quite quickly, but Katara was sure of her way back to 'her boys', as she had affectionately nicknamed them. It was appropriate, seeing how she was often mothering them.

A sharp tinge of nostalgia assaulted her, remembering all the young ones of the South Pole and how occasionally some would cutely refer to her as '_Mom_'.

"Oh Katana, dearie, would you please come and assist these fine gentlemen at the front please?" Katara brushed off her tunic as she stood. The woman was referring to her, since Katara only remembered at the last minute to change her name. She had also taken her hair out of its hairstyle and instead placed it in a bun without her braids. The black cloak she had covered her blue clothes although the blue eyes and dark skin were hard to hide, the people she had bumped into seemed relatively nice. She would have put up her hood, but that would have been far too suspicious.

She emerged with a bright smile—the woman had insisted that she look very positive to her customers, a smile was contagious, after all, and _Katana's _was simply dazzling—and ready to help as her last duty before leaving with the grey boots but it quickly turned into a look of horror as she saw the back of the two customers.

_Prince Zuko and his uncle Iroh! _Her mind instantly recognised before returning to the back and slamming the door. "U-Uh… I have to go now! My uh… father will be worrying about me! I've got the shoes, thank you!"

She ran out of the shop quickly before pausing and going back to the front, standing by the doorway. She had to learn what they were doing here first. All memories of a recent promise where pushed to the back of her mind; what if they had already found Aang?

"Ah, yes, I think these will do nicely. But do you have a pair slightly bigger? My feet sometimes swell, you see…" Iroh's friendly voice was easily heard, and Katara wondered how long she would be able to eavesdrop for.

"Yes, we do," the shop-owner replied, "I'll be right back."

"Oh, before I forget! Prince Zuko," Iroh spoke, now that they were alone. "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."

His nephew took a few moments to respond, still thinking of that girl the woman had called. _'Katana'_… it sounded too similar to _'Katara'_. But surely it was just a coincidence… Hearing Iroh's statement, his brows furrowed. "Good riddance to those traitors! They can stay with Zhao for all I care! I hope they enjoy being beaten by the Avatar!" he spat furiously.

Ignoring his nephew's words, Iroh glanced outside. "It's a lovely night for a walk. After I buy these sandals, how about we take a stroll? It would clear your head." Zuko crossed his arms, moving towards the door. He did not say anything, but the general knew he was heading back to the ship. "Or just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy…"

Katara stifled her gasp as Zuko left the shop, luckily not noticing her pressing against the wall.

Intrigued by their conversation, the cloaked female followed him. Traitors? Zhao? Avatar? Just what was the Fire Nation planning now?

When they approached his ship, Katara gathered a ball of water before following him silently up the gangplank. The firebender prince walked all the way to the stern of the ship before sighing, holding his head in his hands. She paused, unsure, what was Zuko thinking?

"So are you going to tell me why you're tailing me?" he questioned, still not turning to her.

Katara, shocked, lost concentration and the bubble of water she had been saving collapsed to the deck. Zuko, however, remained immobile. "Y-You knew?"

"Of course I knew. You're about as loud as a stampede of komodo rhinos."

Glowering at the insult, she gathered some water in her hands before freezing it and shaping it to have sharp point. She poked the back of his neck with it, indicating the seriousness of what she had to say. "Tell me what that Zhao guy is planning, or I'll…" she stuttered over her words, hoping he would not call her bluff as there was no way she—a fourteen-year-old girl with a dead mother, and a missing father—could murder, "K-Kill you."

In movements too quick and too sudden for Katara to comprehend, Zuko was now facing her. One arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer so every possible inch of their bodies were touching; the other held her wrist, positioning her weapon of ice at his throat, precisely the jugular vein.

A raspy question escaped his lips:

"Promise?"

-


	16. Push

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** Still **Book One: Water, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master**. 300-plus reviews? You guys rock! Accept my token of gratitude: blasting jelly. That being said, remember that this story is purely fictional. Do not attempt this at home.

…Unless you're a pirate. Then by all means, go ahead!

Heavy Zuzu-angst :D You know you love it.

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

**Part XVI: Push **

"I'm very impressed," Zhao smirked in his chair, his fingers in a 'steeple' position as he surveyed the group of men in front of him. "You all seem highly qualified for the mission I have in mind…" A compliment, after all, was the best way to start if you wanted to ask for a _favour_. He pushed the box towards them; gold worked even better. With this flattery _and _bribery, they would have no choice but to accept.

The Pirate Captain—the same who had had a very expensive waterbending scroll taken from him—took the small treasure chest and opened it; the gold inside virtually glowing. His first-mate took a piece and bit it hard before taking on a pleased expression.

"Mhm! This is some tasty gold!" he commented before the captain snatched it out of his hands and slammed the box closed. He slid it to the side (but still keeping it within arm's reach).

"What do you need us to do?"

The admiral fought to contain his grin and failed, not that it mattered anyway. "I believe you are acquainted with…" a pause, to add effect. "Prince Zuko." Judging the growls emitting from the bunch of smugglers, Zhao guessed he was right. Bribery and flattery were indeed effective…

But revenge made the deal all the more sweeter.

-

Zuko did not move even as the ice dagger he held to his throat melted. The peasant averted her eyes and bit her lip, her hand still in his grip. Inwardly, he wondered what he had been thinking. Suicidal thoughts were not for those of honour.

_But I have already lost mine, and now have no chance to recover it._

This was true. He was beginning to tire of this wild goose chase he had been given, only to have someone with far better resources join in. Not only that, but that person had now stolen _his _resources. The pitiful thing was: he could do nothing about it.

What could he say? He could hardly tell the admiral to set fire to himself, in risk of having his banishment extended… to an eternity. Not that that wouldn't happen now, now that the Avatar was about to be captured by Zhao. So, all he could do was allow him to do as he wished.

"_Oh sure, Zhao. Just take my crew. Hey, you want my uncle too? He makes some great tea. Speaking about tea, would you like some before you leave? We could discuss you making sure I have no home."_

But that of course, was not Zuko-behaviour. Then again… he _had _just asked the waterbender to kill him.

"Z-Zuko…" she began, unsure. He was unsure too. Looking into her wide blue eyes, he could see so many emotions: confusion, pity, anxiety, fear… Had he caused this? His hand, which was gripping her wrist quite tightly, softened. The firebender's calloused fingers danced across her pulse, feeling it quicken. His own heart beat faster in response. Touching her was like an adrenaline, feeling fire coursing down his veins, just like he would in a battle.

He wondered if she felt the same.

Zuko leaned forward slowly, bringing his face closer to hers.

"Zuko?" she said his name again, "What are you doing?"

Indeed, what was he doing? Getting close to a peasant like this… and from a rival nation, no less. He let go of her wrist and instead placed his hand on her shoulder, pushing her away. "Nothing. The question is what are _you _doing following me?"

Her eyes narrowed at the sudden push, "I already told you. Where are your crew? This Zhao guy… he's an admiral, right? From the Fire Nation fortress, when you rescued…" _Me, _she finished. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued, "Aang. Oh, I'm sorry. I meant the Avatar. It wouldn't surprise me that you didn't know his name, let alone that he's only twelve years old and…"

"I _know _his name," Zuko hissed. "I probably know a lot more than you give me credit for. My honour _is _in the balance here, and all because of _Aang, _the Avatar."

Katara clenched her fists, forgetting this was a dangerous firebender in front of her. "No," she rebuked, "It's because of the problems you have with your father, or the problems he has with you. You can't blame Aang for you being banished." The waterbender sighed, remembering the circumstances Iroh had told her. "You can't even blame yourself. You spoke up for those soldiers… It was the right thing to do." Her fists relaxed as she stared at the floor, missing the look in Zuko's eyes.

He was outraged at her words. How dare she make assumptions about the relationship he had with his father? How _dare _she even know about (_why, Uncle?_) what happened that fateful day! And yet, when she said that it was the right thing to do, his eyes widened; was that supposed to be a compliment? He quickly hid his expression of shock—not that it mattered, because she wasn't looking at him anyway—and scoffed.

"And what would a lowly peasant like you know about politics?"

"Nothing!" she exclaimed, her voice now a shout and her furious eyes meeting Zuko's gaze, "I want nothing to do that bunch of nonsense! I just have _morals_, something people like you could only _dream _of having. You know? The difference between right and wrong? Good and bad? But of course, since you have no conscience, no heart and no _soul_, I doubt you can even imagine it!"

"So you still think I'm a heartless monster? A soulless beast?" Zuko's temper was rising, his volume also matching the water peasant's.

"Yes!" she replied before thinking then froze, her mouth still agape.

This time it was Zuko who looked away, to the harbour where Iroh was undoubtedly still shopping. "I see," he whispered. All those times he had rescued her! Just then when he had almost… And she only thought of him as a monster.

He supposed he deserved it; he had captured her more than once, threatened her life, her family's lives and was trying to take her best friend to the Fire Nation for his own selfish gains.

Prince Zuko was their enemy.

"Zuko, I—"

"Save it!" he spat before pointing to the gangplank, "Get off my ship, before I decide to throw you off myself!"

She nodded, once, and turned her back to him, rushing to escape the _'monster' _she had been forced to endure.

Zuko watched her go. Even when she was out of sight, he continued to watch. Maybe she would return… But why would she? What reason would she have to come back other than to be insulted and threatened again? That was all a _'beast' _such as Zuko could offer.

The prince eventually made his way to his chambers, collapsing on his bed and burying his face into the pillow.

It was for the best, he supposed. Now he knew how she felt, and would do his best to fill those requirements.

Next time he saw her and the rest of the Avatar's group, he would be ruthless, determined… He would act like the creature without morals, a conscience, a soul and a heart (_then why does it ache?_) they expected him to be.

-

Iroh hummed as he held his shopping bag in one hand, and a take-out bag in the other. Since their cook—the retired general choked back a sob—was gone, they would have to get their own food now. Now, Iroh did not doubt his tea-making skills (oh, they were definitely great), but when it came to cooking meals… well… it wouldn't be as luxurious as what they used to have. Zuko himself had never walked into a kitchen since that time he had managed to set fire to some noodles; he would not be doing that again anytime soon, unless they had a waterbender handy.

Zuko's uncle smiled as he thought of that blue-eyed Water Tribe girl. Back when she had been a (hostage) guest on their ship, she had offered great company, and always appreciated his tea, unlike a certain nephew of his.

But now, undoubtedly, she would be with the Avatar on their way to the North Pole. Only for Zhao to come and steal him away, stealing the Northern Water Tribe's secrets as he did. More innocent lives would be lost, because of an arrogant admiral's selfishness.

_Too many innocent lives have been lost, _Iroh frowned, thinking of his last mission before he retired. _Ba Sing Sei…_

"Look at me," the elderly man laughed to himself, "Thinking about the past as if I could change it." He giggled, "I sound just like my nephew!"

His nephew who was probably on the ship in his dark, dark room having dark, dark thoughts… Well, Iroh grinned as he kept a firm grip on their meal for the night; Zuko would enjoy this: fried eel was always his favourite.

Even if the future looked grim, there would be no sadness tonight, not if Iroh had anything to do with it.

The Dragon of the West to shocked to see a familiar figure in blue rushing away from their ship. She was clutching her tunic desperately and kept glancing back to the Fire Nation ship, as if contemplating turning around and going back.

"Katara?" Iroh called, waddling up to her as he usually did when he rushed.

She took a step back in shock, glancing to the ship, then back to him. "Iroh?"

"I see you visited our boat." His nephew would have killed him if he heard Iroh use that word to describe their mode of transport (_"It's a _ship, _uncle!"_), "I hope Zuko was hospitable." Well, he didn't kidnap her. That was something, right? Then again, the banished prince was probably too depressed to listen to her protests.

"I… I have to go. Sokka—"

"Are you hungry?" Iroh interrupted.

Ocean blue eyes blinked. "Huh?"

He lifted up the take-out bag, "Would you like some fried eel? It's a Fire Nation delicacy, and very tasty. I believe it is somewhat similar to your own jellied eels, only fried… hence the name. Sounds good, yes?"

"No, no, I'm not hungry."

Since Fate did not favour the starving waterbender, and had quite a liking for the slightly overweight firebender, Katara's stomach took this opportunity to grumble in protest. Even in the darkness of night, Iroh could see her blush.

"I mean… I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"It's nothing! I'm sure we have more than enough here."

Katara shook her head, "Really, I can't. Zuko—"

So something had happened. "That boy's just suffering from his annual bad mood." He sighed, "Except it seems to be sticking permanently now. But I insist! You must join us!"

"But Aang—"

"At _least_ stay for tea…"

Katara slapped her forehead; this was going to take a long time.

-

A creak awoke Zuko.

Instantly sitting up in bed, he called out: "Uncle?" Silence answered him, so he moved to the door, wondering if the retired general was turning deaf. As he opened the door and peered down the corridors, Zuko spoke again. "Uncle, is that you?"

Once again, nothing. The prince narrowed his eyes.

Something was wrong.

He quickly darted from the doorframe and into the corridor, his posture easily slipping into a basic attacking stance his uncle had taught him. He had _definitely _heard something, so if it was not Uncle, it must have been an intruder.

_The peasant…_

Had the waterbender returned?

Another creak.

Zuko rushed down the hallway, jumping around a corner and once again putting his arms up in preparation for battle. It was stupid of him to assume it was the peasant with the amount of enemies he had, especially Zhao (did he know he was the Blue Spirit?).

This corridor was bare too.

Lowering his hands, Zuko cautiously sneaked to the other side, hoping to catch the trespasser with the element of surprise. The next corridor was bare, as was the one leading to the navigation room.

(He was completely oblivious to the pirates jumping off the deck after lighting the trail of flammable powder that led to the blasting jelly.)

Scratching his head, Zuko shrugged his shoulders and moved to return back to his chambers. Perhaps he had imagined it—especially with the current state of mind he was in now. Maybe this was a dream (he pinched himself to see, but this was indeed real). Perhaps it had been Uncle's tea from earlier. Yes, yes, that had to be it. He was slightly delusional from whatever it was Uncle spiked his tea with.

Something sitting by the window caught Zuko's eye.

He turned, slowly, and noticed that it was a green-feathered reptilian parrot. A creature from the Fire Nation, but very rare. He had seen only one other in his lifetime and it had belonged to—

The bird squawked and flew off.

His one good eye widened.

Zuko had no time to prepare as a deafening '_bang!' _resounded throughout his ship, causing tremors that almost made the prince trip. He thought he heard more explosions, but they could have been the echoes in his ears from the first blast. For a split second, Zuko thought he was in a vacuum with no air.

This was before the bright light, searing heat and powerful flames rushed down the corridor towards the navigation room. Zuko crossed his arms in front of him—but it was no use. The fire reached the room and blew him out of the windows. If he had been conscious, he would have felt the sting from shards of glass, or the impact from landing on water, or even the soothing coolness it provided, reminding him…

_Katara…_

-

"Trust me, dear Katara. My nephew always enjoys company," Iroh lied sweetly. "And even if he doesn't, it's _good _for—"

He was cut off by an ear-shattering _'boom!' _from the ship just before them. Balls of fire emerged as the steel groaned under the pressure. Explosion after explosion continued before one huge blast completely destroyed the top of the ship, right where the quarters were… Tilting ominously, the ship finally tipped over. The other boats at the dock rocked side to side, but otherwise were safe.

The waterbender and the firebender stared in shock at the ruins of the seemingly invincible ship. Both then gasped simultaneously.

"Zuko!"

-


	17. Pull

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** Still **Book One: Water, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master**.

Apologies for the late update but I've been very, very busy with school and other things. I don't want to waste your time so here you are: the next update.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XVII: Pull**

Katara—unsure on what to do, unsure on what exactly was going on but knowing one thing: _Zuko is in danger_—turned to the elder beside her. "I-Iroh… what should we—"

The retired general cut her off by removing his chest plate, coat and shoes. Plastic bags lay forgotten beside his feet, dropped when the first explosion had sounded. Without any hesitation, Iroh ran (not a waddle, but a good sprint) to the edge before diving in.

She stood there for a few moments, her mouth agape. Then she started to talk; a panicky ramble that seemed to be going a hundred miles a minute. "What does he think he's doing? That water is freezing cold! I'm a waterbender so if anyone should go swimming it should be me… what am I saying? I'd probably freeze to death too! Unless I somehow figured how to change the temperature of the water. I should be able to… if I can freeze water, and melt ice, then I _must _be able to make water warmer… I think…"

When she did eventually figure out that she indeed was talking to herself, a few minutes had passed. She could not see any swimmers in the water despite the ship's bright inferno in front of her. The flames were slowly dying now, consumed by the inky blackness of night and smothered by the ocean's waves. Standing in awe of the fiery ruins, she could hardly picture the great ship it was before. She also found it hard to believe that Zuko—the same Zuko that had been chasing them from one pole of the world to the other—could possibly be seriously injured, or even worse…

_Dead._

Just as she was about to make a step towards the edge of the port, ready to dive after Iroh, Katara felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun instantly, coming face to face with the confused (and slightly worried) face of her brother. Behind him, Aang's expression was similar.

"Katara? Where _were _you?" Sokka questioned, going into his traditional 'Sokka: the over-reactive, extremely protective—and don't forget terribly obnoxious—older brother' outburst. "It's been ages. Look how dark it is! Just look! I can hardly see you!"

If the situation were not any direr, Katara may have grumbled: _"I can certainly hear you!" _but as it was serious, she did not. Instead, she placed one hand on her brother's shoulder then pointed to the flaming wreckage of Zuko's ship. "Zuko… ship! Explosions! Iroh and I… dived in… must help…"

"Zuko?" Aang echoed, joining the conversation. "Is that… _Was _that Prince Zuko's boat?" Shock settling in, and speech leaving, Katara only nodded.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at the ruins—the once raging inferno of flames were now a few sparse embers—before gripping Katara's wrist and pulling her away. "Good riddance. That's one less bad guy we have tailing us, and one less Fire Nation prince. This is the best thing that's happened to us in a _long _time."

"But Sokka!" Katara protested, "He could be…" She trailed off, but the others did not need to hear the end.

"Katara," Aang whispered, "I understand what you're saying but… Sokka has a point. If Prince Zuko did stop us, it would mean the deaths of thousands of people. I'm not saying it's a good thing he… but—"

Katara yanked her hand out of her brother's grip and crossed her arms. "So you're saying if it was _my _life or thousands of people's, you would let _me _die?" Aang's mouth immediately shut.

Sokka shook his head, his tone shrill, "Why are we even discussing this? Bottom line is you're the good guy—uh, girl—and Zuko's the bad guy. End of story. Now come _on_, before any other random Fire Nation baddies start chasing us."

The waterbender's protests were unheard as she was dragged away by a ranting warrior and a silent Avatar. Soon she also became quiet, guilt swimming around, making her feel unclean. So she was on the side of good? She was the righteous one? Katara was the one that did not resolve to underhand tactics (_insulting, spying)_?

_Then why do I feel like the bad guy?_

"Sokka!" Katara shouted, interrupting her brother's lecture. "You don't understand! I _have _to… in exchange… in exchange for…" she turned to Aang, pleading. "He saved my life once, even though we were enemies; I have to repay my debt."

Aang passed his staff to Sokka. "He saved my life too. I should go."

She did not bother to continue arguing. Katara rushed back to the edge of the harbour and jumped in, swimming towards the wreckage. After a few moments of frantic searching, she found Iroh holding an unconscious Zuko, swimming back to the port. Aang was standing by the edge and used his airbending to lift the prince and his uncle out of the water. Katara was airbended out a few moments later.

"He is not breathing," Iroh said, examining his nephew's neck. His face was marred in bruises and cuts; possible more scars to his collection. "I think he has swallowed a lot of water."

"Allow me," Katara whispered tentatively as she knelt on the other side of Prince Zuko. She took a deep breath, placed her hands on his chest, feeling for the water in his lungs—there!—and prepared to extract it. As she moved her hands upwards, the water followed obediently as her loyal penguin-seal. "Can you open his mouth please?" Iroh did so and Katara pushed out all the water. Zuko began to cough and splutter, and his good eye opened for a moment before closing with a groan. "Zuko should regain consciousness soon," Katara told Iroh as she stood.

Without another word, she turned and began to walk away. Sokka instantly pursued her, asking if she'd been eating Fire Nation food ("That stuff can cause major mental issues! …Tastes decent though…"). Aang's grey gaze met Iroh's gold, wordless communication and suspicions between them. _Did she…?_

"Aang!" the waterbender called, "You coming or what?"

The monk broke eye contact and followed his two companions.

-

"Katara, what is _wrong_ with you?" Sokka fumed as he repeated the same question he had been asking for the past few hours. So far, he had not gained a response other than "_Just leave it, Sokka…" _but his little sister's patience was wearing thin. Even Aang was looking to him with something akin to annoyance. At first, he had glanced to Katara (he was also curious, if not slightly worried) but had accepted that she would not offer a real answer.

"Sokka! There's nothing _wrong _with me! I just… owedhim. It was the honourable thing to do," Katara replied, knowing that the subject of honour would silence Sokka for a good ten minutes as he thought of a comeback.

She supposed that her brother and Zuko were quite similar. They were both hot-tempered, and found their pride to be their most valuable asset. Of course, she would never mention this to her elder brother (or Zuko, not that she would be having a conversation with him). That would certainly go down well…

Picturing the numerous Water Tribe weapons and fire that would be aimed her way, Katara grimaced. Definitely _not _a good idea.

It seemed that her earlier prediction was incorrect, for Sokka had his mouth open and his finger pointing accusingly at her. Well. He seemed abnormally quick today. She sighed, prepared for his protective-elder-brother lecture. Since their parents had gone, Sokka had planted himself as the new father figure _and _mother figure. Being mothered by Sokka was a terrifying experience indeed.

"Well, I—"

They were cut off by huge slabs of ice suddenly emerging from the surrounding waters. Instantly trapped in an icy prison, Appa could advance no more. Boats appeared from their hiding places behind huge glaciers and slowly floated towards them.

"The Northern Water Tribe!" Katara gasped. They had done it! They had found the people of the North Pole and now Aang (and possibly Katara too) was going to learn from a master waterbender. The Northern Water Tribesmen smiled as they recognised the Water Tribe siblings' blue clothes, and the tattooed arrow on Aang's head.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang and our brother from the Southern Water Tribe."

Katara noticed they did not acknowledge her.

Later, Katara told the others of her first impressions of the Northern Water Tribesmen. "Maybe they didn't see you because you're quite small," Sokka said as Appa navigated the channels of the Northern Water Tribe city. A gondola in front was leading the way, powered by waterbenders.

Katara crossed her arms and jutted her chin towards their bald companion. "_Small?" _she echoed angrily."Aang is smaller than me." Aang frowned, looking over his body then glancing to Katara's before nodding sadly. 112 years old and still short.

Sokka fumbled for a response. "Well… he's brightly coloured. You could see him from a mile off." The Avatar was about to make an objection, but then realised that he _liked _his clothes so smiled instead.

"They could see me," Katara grumbled. "They just chose to ignore me."

Her elder brother rolled his eyes, "Oh, quit complaining; that's my job." Katara poked her tongue out at him in a rude gesture but said nothing more. She _knew _they saw her and she _knew _they deliberately refused to acknowledge her. But why? What did the boys have that she didn't?

_Ah, _she realised; _that's it. It's the pure fact that they're boys. _The guards must have been sexist—she just hoped that the rest of the tribe did not share that prejudice. They should not; the idea of men being better than women was quite old-fashioned, not for a prospering city such as the North Pole. Yes, she was sure that everyone else would be completely open to both males and females.

-

"Katara!" Sokka whispered urgently into her ear. They were currently in the Northern Water Tribe's Great Hall, having a celebratory banquet. Thankfully (and as Katara had guessed), Chief Arnook had welcomed them all. Then again, if Katara wanted to be picky she may have made more of a fuss about the fact that she had been introduced at the end, after Momo. Of course, Katara was not picky and was so _not _looking to food for comfort. She turned to him, half way through eating a steamed sea prune. "Switch seats with me," he continued.

She sucked up the remainder of the Water Tribe delicacy. "Why?"

He jerked his chin.

"What?"

Repeating the action, Sokka whispered something.

"Huh?"

He murmured something louder, but it still sounded muffled over the conversations of the others in the hall.

She rolled her eyes and began poking at the cooked seafood, "Sokka, I cannot hear _anything _that you are saying. If you want to tell me something, you're going to have to stop whispering and speak up."

"Because I want to sit next to the cute girl beside you!_" _Sokka said, perhaps a _little _too loud. To prove this theory correct, the girl to Katara's left—she was indeed breathtaking, with hair the colour of pure snow and light blue eyes like crystals—giggled.

Katara tried to suppress her snort (really, she did) but failed miserably. Sokka dropped his head to his plate, the generous serving of sea prunes flying everywhere. His little sister patted the back of his neck sympathetically.

"Still want to move?"

Sokka grunted. "Just give me a few minutes."

True to his word, a few minutes later Sokka was prodding Katara's side, '_subtly' _hinting that now was the time to switch. Katara got up, saying out loud about how she needed some more Arctic hen. Sokka slipped into her vacated seat with all the craftiness he possessed (which wasn't much, as he managed to knock over Katara's drink in the process) and sent a flirty smirk towards the white-haired girl.

"Hi," he greeted. "My name's Sokka." He rolled his shoulders, flexing his arm to show off his muscles. "Warrior Sokka, of the Southern Water Tribe."

"I know," the girl smiled. She bowed her head. "My name is Princess Yue, of the Northern Water Tribe."

Sokka stuttered, "Pr-Pr-Princess?" Returning from her journey to restock her plate, Katara just sat down next to them and prepared herself for a good show, courtesy of Sokka's bumbling mouth.

-


	18. Prejudice

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** The last part of **Book One: Water, Chapter Eighteen: The Waterbending Master**. This is my second draft—there isn't much of a difference and I'm still not completely happy with it but there's not much else I can do. Also, I suck at action scenes.

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XVIII: Prejudice**

"This is going to be great, Aang," Katara grinned as she and Aang made their way towards the North Pole training area for waterbenders. It was where the talented Master Pakku resided. They had seen a show by him and his pupils the night before at the banquet and were eager to begin their lessons. For Aang, another element mastered. For Katara, her talent would be used to its full potential.

He had said to meet them at sunrise, and only Aang had the problem with getting up early. Katara had woken long before sunrise, eager to begin her training. It had required a bucket of cold water over Aang to wake him up. Obviously, he wasn't as enthusiastic as Katara about mastering waterbending.

"I've waited for this day my whole life," she continued, hands shaking in barely contained joy. "I finally get to learn from a real waterbending master." They finally spotted Master Pakku bending some water, although Aang's loud greeting caused him to lose concentration thus the water collapsed.

"This is my friend, Katara," Aang introduced. Katara bowed. "She's the one I told you about."

Master Pakku sent her an odd look before sitting down on a block of ice he had bended. "I'm sorry… I think there's been a misunderstanding. You didn't tell me your friend was a _girl_. In our tribe, it is _forbidden _for a woman to learn waterbending."

Katara felt her all aspirations plummet, as did her mood and respect for this man.

"What do you mean you won't teach me?" she asked in a sudden outburst, all politeness forgotten. "I didn't travel across the _whole world _so you could just tell me '_no'_!" She poked her finger angrily at his face.

"_No_," Master Pakku echoed coldly with a smirk.

"But there must be other female waterbenders in your tribe. What about them?"

He folded his arms, and rolled his eyes, as if that was obvious. "Here the women learn from Yugoda to use their waterbending to heal." He smiled at her mockingly and patted her shoulder. "I'm sure she will be happy to take you as her student. Despite your bad attitude," he remarked as he glared at her hands on her hips.

"I don't want to heal! I want to fight!" Katara rebuked as she waved her arms about.

Master Pakku once again gave her an odd look. "I can see that, but our tribe has customs… _rules_."

"Well your rules _STINK_!" Katara yelled in his face. "They're not fair!"

Aang stepped forward. "Yeah! If you won't teach Katara then… then…"

"Then what?" Master Pakku asked smugly, standing up at his impressive height to intimidate the two children.

The Avatar bit his lip before shouting: "Then I won't learn from you!" He began his exit when Katara placed a hand on his shoulder and spun him around to face Master Pakku. Her hand moved in a comforting motion.

"He didn't mean that, Master Pakku," Katara said, trying to contain the bubbling fury that consumed her. She turned to Aang. "You can't risk your training for me. You have to learn from Master Pakku… even if he is a big jerk, there's no one else."

Aang nodded solemnly. She gave him one last pat on the shoulder and walked away, even though it was killing her to do so.

She asked for directions from some waterbending students on their way to see Master Pakku (ignoring their sniggering as she walked away) and found Yugoda's healing lessons were held in a very modest igloo, not at all like the advanced training grounds where the male waterbenders learnt. "Hi," she said as she walked in, "I'm here to see Yugoda."

An elderly woman was sitting in the centre; a dummy lay before her. She faced Katara with a warm smile, the complete opposite to Master Pakku. "Are you here for the healing lesson?"

Katara looked around the small room, noticing the students were no older than seven or eight and were as young as five. "Yeah…" she murmured. "I guess I am."

"Welcome, welcome!" the old woman (obviously Yugoda) greeted, and the lesson began.

At the end of the session, Katara felt the need to thank the woman for accepting her, and apologise if she seemed rude at the start. "Thanks for the lesson, and I'm sorry if I appeared rude but you see—"

"So who's the lucky boy then?" Yugoda interrupted. Katara's eyes widened, unable to even stammer a '_huh?'_. "Your betrothal necklace," the elder woman pointed. "You're getting married, right?" Katara stared at her necklace, remembering all the things it had been through since she left the South Pole. It had suffered the hands of a firebender (_Zuko…) _for a while but luckily emerged just how it was before. Speaking of Prince Zuko, she wondered how he was doing now…

"No," Katara replied before her thoughts ran away with her. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet. My grandmother gave my mother this necklace, and my mother passed it down to me." It was interesting to compare the necklace's meaning in the two different poles. In the North, it was to show that the female belonged to the male. But in the South, it was to demonstrate the strong matriarchs of the girl's family.

Yugoda gasped, looking at the pendant then staring at Katara closely. "I recognise this carving. I don't know how I didn't realise sooner; you're the spitting image of Kana!"

"Wait," Katara said, stepping back in shock. "How do you know my Gran-Gran's name?"

"When I was about your age, I was friends with Kana," Yugoda began. "She was born here, in the Northern Tribe." Katara frowned, looking down. _She never told me… _she thought to herself. "Your grandmother had an arranged marriage with a young waterbender. He carved that necklace for her."

Looking back to the pendant, Katara suddenly had thousands of questions. "If Gran-Gran was engaged, why did she leave?"

"I don't know; that's always been a mystery to me. She left without saying goodbye."

-

Later that night, the group were in their chambers, talking over the day's events. Sokka marched in quite late, slamming the door open and kicking anything that got in his way, barely missing Momo.

"How's warrior training going?" Katara questioned, wondering if that was the cause of Sokka's bad mood. Sokka kicked his sleeping bag angrily before collapsing on it, groaning in pain as he did so.

"That bad?" Aang asked.

"No!" Sokka grumbled. "It's Princess Yue! I don't get it! One minute she wants to go out with me and the next she's telling me to get lost!" Aang shrugged, not used to the whole 'girl' thing quite yet and equally as baffled as Sokka, and rested on his sleeping bag. "So… how's waterbending training going?" This time it was Katara who collapsed on her sleeping bag, face first. "That bad, huh?"

Aang clenched his fists. "Master Poophead won't teach her because she's a girl."

Sokka stated his next sentence as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, why don't you just put on a disguise? You know, _not _look like a girl."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Katara asked as she suddenly jumped up from her position on the sleeping mat. "I could show up tomorrow—in disguise, of course—and say that _Katara _went home because she was upset and that _I _was also part of your group, but I had stayed behind in the last village because I was doing… oh, I don't know! Charity work or something! All I need to do is just hide my hair… oh! I know! I'll make a hat! And I'll borrow some of your clothes, Sokka."

Her brother had his mouth open. "I was joking, you know. Besides, aren't they a bit big for you?"

Katara waved her hand dismissively, "I could easily sew them to fit me by tomorrow. This is great! Aang and I can learn waterbending together! Everyone's happy!"

"I'm not happy," Sokka interjected.

"But you're never happy," his sister responded. She got to work stitching Sokka's clothes to fit her and managed to make a hat that hid her hair (although she had to take out her braids to hide it). Sokka was still cynical.

"Well… you can't exactly act like a man."

"Can too!"

"Go on then. Walk like a man."

Katara frowned, and tried her best to walk as Sokka usually did. Her brother burst out laughing. "Stop it!" she instructed in a high-pitch voice then suddenly deepened it. "I mean, knock it off."

Sokka began rolling over the floor, "Haha! You're killing me!"

She hauled Aang to his feet. "Come on, Aang. I want to go practise somewhere else."

They found a secluded area of the city by a bridge. They could see due to the bright moonlight but were still covered in darkness in case someone spotted them. Aang had tried to teach her how to walk, and told her not to deepen her voice too much—it really did _not _work. When her disguise as a 'boy' was satisfactory, they decided to practise a bit of waterbending before Katara made a hat and clothes. After all, it had only just reached nightfall.

Aang began teaching her all that he had learnt earlier, quoting instructions from '_Master Poophead'_. Katara was indeed giddy when she could do the first movement, but was shocked when the water abruptly moved on its own rapidly and fluidly before dropping to the floor.

"That was amazing!" Aang commented, his hands on his head. "How did you do that?"

Katara—frozen in shock—did not speak at first. And then… "…That wasn't me."

"No," a familiar voice called out. "It was me." Standing on the bridge above them was Master Poo—no, Master _Pakku_.

"Master Pakku!" Aang gasped, "I… I was just… This is my friend, uh… Bato. I was just teaching them what I learnt today. And I was hoping that you would take her—him! Him! I was hoping that you would take _him _as your student."

"Do you think I am stupid? I can see through that ridiculous disguise, Miss Katara. You both have disrespected me, my teachings and my entire tribe's culture."

"I'm sorry," Aang began to apologise. "I…"

Master Pakku cut him off. "You are no longer welcome as my student. Good luck with teaching yourself." He walked away, leaving the two benders in the darkness.

-

"What do you want me to do? Force Master Pakku into taking Aang back as his student?" Chief Arnook questioned. They were currently in the Great Hall again, this time in front of a council of the Northern Water Tribe's highest authorities, including the chief, his daughter and Master Pakku.

"Yes!" Katara answered, "…Please."

"I suspect he might change his mind if you swallow your pride and apologise to him." Chief Arnook was also angry at them for dishonouring his culture, but was taking it slightly better than Pakku. At least he had decided not to punish Aang. Katara's eyes narrowed; she glanced at Pakku, then turned to Aang before once again facing the council. She took a deep breath then replied.

"Fine."

Master Pakku put on his ever so infuriating smirk, looking to her smugly. "I'm waiting, little girl." Her eye twitched, and her hands started to shaking similar to how they had that fateful morning except this time it was for a different reason. Before, it had been in joy. Now, it was in anger.

"No," she stated evenly, trying to contain her fury. She failed and began waving her fists. "No way am I apologising to a sour old man like _you_!" She pointed towards Master Pakku accusingly; her whole arm was trembling in rage. To the side, the huge water pots cracked as water escaped. The ice floor was also cracking. "I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me!"

The whole of the council, barring Master Pakku, gasped. He did not respond, just met her angry gaze with his own. Katara spun on her heel and marched her way out. Aang shoved his hands in his pockets and smiled, trying to resolve the argument with peace.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Aang defended.

"Yeah, I think she did," Sokka replied. They both rushed after the female waterbender, attempting to persuade her to not go through with the threat. They were not successful, as Katara was hell-bent on teaching that old jerk a lesson. She shoved her coat into Sokka's hands and continued her march down the steps. Aang said she did not have to fight Master Pakku for him, but Katara replied that she was doing it for herself and all female waterbenders.

She turned, noticing Pakku walking calmly down the stairs. "So, you decided to show up?" she questioned. Master Pakku ignored her, walking straight past without even acknowledging her presence. "Aren't you going to fight?"

"Go back to the healing huts with the women where you belong," Master Pakku advised. Katara bowed her head, her entire body tense and screaming to slap some sense into the prejudicial man A water whip formed in her hands and she used it to slap him on the bald part of his head. Somewhere deep inside of Katara, a little part of her did a little celebratory jig whereas the rest of her prepared for the fight. He halted in his steps and turned to face her slowly. "Fine. You want to learn to fight so badly? Study closely!" He gathered water from the two fountains and combined them to smack Katara as she ran towards him. She was knocked to her knees but managed to get onto her feet quickly. The water then surrounded them both, getting closer and closer. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." Katara waved her arm, effectively halting the surrounding water.

Unfortunately for Sokka, the water hit him instead.

Katara rushed towards Pakku again; he created a ramp of ice. She slid over it and landed on one of the pillars uncertainly, but managed to stay on her feet. He tried to use the water to knock her over again. However, she bended the ice under her feet to keep a firm hold and dispersed the water before it could touch her.

"You can't knock me down!" Katara growled angrily. Behind her, the slowly gathering crowd cheered. She made her way towards Pakku and began throwing punches. They were blocked by ice or her fists were redirected by water. She did not manage to land one hit, which infuriated her even more. She began punching blindly, still hitting nothing but ice. He then used the water to throw her into the nearby fountain. She emerged quickly, and her fans cheered once more.

Creating a pillar of ice, she began shaving off ice disks and aiming them towards Pakku. He deflected all of them, but came close to having his nose cut off by one. He sent her a '_how dare you!' _look. Katara got out of the fountain and used his technique to try and knock him over with water. Unfortunately, he gained control of the water and instead aimed it towards her, separated into two waves. She dodged the first, but was vulnerable to the second.

Taking a deep breath, Katara suddenly jumped to her feet and bended the two ice pillars to fall on Master Pakku. He bended them into harmless snow.

"Well, I'm impressed. You are an excellent waterbender."

"But you still won't teach me, will you?"

"No."

The fury spurred her on now. She used the ice floor to become a sort of wave, hoping to trip him up. He created an ice pillar, and even dodged her other attacks. He moved closer to her and then pushed her over, finally using his own hands.

Her necklace fell off, but was unnoticed by all.

Katara knelt on the floor, panting. Her energy was basically depleted. She wasn't sure if she could even get to her feet. Pakku finally decided to end the fight. He turned the water into shards of ice and used them to render her immobile. All she could move was her neck, which was hopeless for waterbending. She struggled against the ice, although even she knew it was in vain.

"This fight is over," Master Pakku stated officially. He walked away, his hands in his pockets. The old man wasn't even out of breath.

"Come back here!" Katara ordered as she continued to thrash about. "I'm not finished yet!"

"Yes," he said. "You are. Oh?" Master Pakku spotted something blue on the floor and picked it up, examining it with the utmost care. His fingers brushed against the light blue pendant. "This is my necklace…"

"No it's not! It's mine! Now give it back!"

He ignored her again, much to her chagrin. "I made this sixty years ago…" His head snapped up as he remembered something long, long ago in the past. "…For the love of my life." Behind him, Katara's icy prison once again returned to its liquid state.

"My Gran-Gran was supposed to marry you?" Well, no wonder she ran away.

"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged." He looked to the sky sadly. "I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her." Katara stepped forward.

"But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage. Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left." Katara looked to the side, remembering her Gran-Gran's warnings about leaving home, and what she had felt about flying away. "It must have taken a lot of courage."

In the crowd, Princess Yue abruptly burst into tears and rushed away. Sokka moved to go after her, but paused.

Aang nudged his side with his staff. "Go get her."

Nodding, Sokka followed the white-haired beauty.

-

"I'm devastatedafter hearing about Prince Zuko," Admiral Zhao commented as he poured some tea for himself and General Iroh. "Just _devastated._" He took the cup to his lips, and sipped. It was hot and burnt his lips, but he did not make any indication that he had—he liked his tea like that.

"Yes," the General replied. He seemed very distant about it all; obviously hiding the pain Zhao knew he felt for his lost nephew. Those two had indeed been close. After all, why would the old man follow the banished prince unless he cared about him? Ha. That disrespectful brat had only had one person looking out for him. He must have felt lonely. On the edge of depression. Yes, yes. Zuko had indeed been pathetic. "The Fire Lord will not be pleased when he hears who was responsible."

Zhao just managed to keep his facial expression neutral. Did the old man know? "You know who was behind the attack?" Would he also have to exterminate him? It would be far too suspicious… but if the retired general knew…

General Iroh nodded. "Yes." He slammed his fist on the table—something that was out of character for the Dragon of the West (_It must be affecting him more than I realised, _Zhao thought). "Pirates. We had a run in with them a while back. They wanted revenge." Zhao smirked behind his cup of tea before bringing it to his lips again. He finished the drink then placed the cup on the table.

"So, have you reconsidered my offer?"

"Yes, I accept." Iroh bowed his head, his tone sounded defeated. Good. That meant he would be even easier to manipulate. "It would be an honour to serve as your general." He raised his cup. "To the Fire Nation!"

"To victory!" Admiral Zhao responded.

As Iroh exited the room, leaving Zhao to his diabolical schemes, he passed a soldier in full uniform. They both stopped just as they crossed each other. Iroh spoke first. "Our plan is working perfectly. Zhao does not expect a thing."

The mysterious soldier took off his face-plate, revealing a badly scarred and bruised face. The same face of Prince Zuko. "You didn't have to do this."

"No nephew of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some back up."

Zuko bowed his head. "Thank you, Uncle."

There was the sound of the door opening and closing on the other side of the corridor. "Someone is coming." The scarred teenager put his face-plate back on, hiding his true identity. "Stay hidden until we reach the North Pole and the Avatar will be yours. Good luck."

And the two continued on their separate ways.

-

"Not bad, not bad," Master Pakku remarked as Aang completed the movement. The Avatar grinned at the compliment. "Keep practising and maybe you'll get it by the time you're my age." Aang's lips pouted. Katara ran up to stand beside him, out of breath.

Pakku frowned. "What do you think you're doing?" Katara stood up straight, her face full of determination. The old man's frown turned into a smile. "It's past sunrise. You're late." Katara returned the smile. Getting into the first stance, Katara and Aang grinned at each other.

"It's good to see you here," Aang said.

"You too," Katara replied and prepared herself to become the best waterbender the world had ever seen.

Pakku smirked. _And the thing is… she's so stubborn, she might actually do it._

-

On a ship not too far away, Zhao was surveying the broad expanse of ocean before him. "My fleet is ready. Set a course for the Northern Water Tribe." The ship set off a fire signal, which in turn triggered off other fire signals from the surrounding ships. There had to be nearly a hundred of them…

…All ready for the Siege of the Northern Water Tribe.

-


	19. Peace

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** The beginning of **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North**.

Hehe, been a while, hasn't it? I'm not going to go into what happened because I don't want to bore you but I have discovered that (sob) I'm beginning to go off fan-fiction _and _Avatar. Oh, the shame. Kill me, please. This is my way of getting my butt into gear as I want to finish this. I've got plenty of ideas for the 'season two' but it's just a matter of not rushing and actually writing it.

Apparently, _Yong _is the Chinese name for 'brave'. I apologise if this is wrong, as you know how dependable the Internet is…

You may notice only slight Sokka x Yue. I feel no inspiration for this couple, and this _is _a Zutara. If you need it, just supply sections of the actual episodes with it.

Wrote this chapter all in one session. Took about five hours (I'm a slow writer—quick to type, but slow to word it the way I want), and my butt hurts from both sitting on it and by mentally kicking it.

XIX… wow… doesn't it look pretty .

This is quite a long A/N. I haven't done ones as long as these for a looooong time.

Humm.

Almost like I'm rambling.

I wonder if anyone actually reads these.

…

Hi.

Hmm. And my computer just died, so I'm having to use my dad's laptop. ((sigh)) It's just not my day...week...month...

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XIX: Peace**

Sweat perspired on the young boy's forehead, and he hadn't even taken a move yet. The sheer anticipation of his inevitable defeat was proving too much for the '_brave' _Water Tribesman, Yong.

Breathing in sharply, Yong hesitantly pushed his arms forward, a tide of water following his movements.

His opponent flashed a smirk (what he took as a bloodthirsty grin) before rotating in a full circle, using the grace of a dancer. The tide of water abruptly twisted into a long snake-like stream; the waterbender's arms rose and the snake stretched in the direction of the blue sky, hissing. Pausing for a brief moment to gauge the Water Tribesman's response—a nervous gulp—his challenger finally relieved Yong of his misery.

The snake rushed towards him; he crossed his arms in front of himself defensively as it charged into him. He flipped once—maybe twice—in the air before landing on the thankfully soft snow on his back. He coughed the water out of his lungs and turned to his side, feeling nauseous at the sheer impact that the water-snake had hit him.

Suddenly he was hauled to his feet, looking into sparking blue eyes. His adversary. His superior.

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe.

…A _girl_.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Yong! I got carried away… Heh…" she scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "That was quite a nasty hit; do you want me to heal you?"

"No, no; it's fine, Katara…" he rasped, lightly rubbing his sore abdomen. Healing the injuries she had inflicted upon him would just add insult to injury, and the last thing he wanted was to appear weak to a member of the opposite gender. Although it was far too late for that now. "I just need to take a little break… Then I'll be fine…"

She pouted, wondering if it was her fighting or healing capabilities being dismissed. "You sure? They'll probably be a painful bruise."

He muttered in the negative and stalked away, limping and gasping for breath. Pakku, who had been watching the interaction, placed his hand on his prodigious student's shoulder.

"Congratulations, Pupil Katara."

"Thank you, Master Pakku." She turned to him with blue eyes full of anticipation. "What's next?"

He chuckled, which gradually became a loud cackle. "Why, Katara, there is nothing more I can teach you. This concludes your training with me; I was not necessarily congratulating you for that short battle."

Katara blinked.

"Hm. Who knew you'd be able to learn so quickly, and make the most of my other students, who have been training for years…" he gestured to the group of wounded waterbenders murmuring to themselves irately. "You have even surpassed the Avatar himself, who is supposed to master the four elements with ease…" At this, he glared out the corner of his eye to the young bald monk building a snowman with a combination of waterbending and airbending. Sensing that he was being watched, Aang flashed them a toothy grin and thumbs-up.

"Does this mean… Am I a Master now?"

Pakku sniggered again, "Oh no, Katara. Not a Master, but not a Pupil either. From now on, you must accomplish the rank of Master by yourself."

Katara bit her lip anxiously. She glanced to the group of waterbenders at the side, all eagerly listening, including Aang. "I… What does that mean? What am I supposed to do?"

"Teachers open the doors. It is up to the student to walk through them, once the teacher thinks they are ready, of course. You, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, are ready."

-

Zuko frowned as he stared at the expanse of dark water before him. In his uncle's private chambers, he was not wearing the firebender's armour he had had to steal (really, as the crown prince of the Fire Nation, it should have been unnecessary for him to use such underhand tactics to get onto a ship of his nation's fleet, but as a _banished _crown prince of the Fire Nation, it was the only way to set foot on a ship belonging to Ozai's most favoured Admiral… an Admiral he favoured over his own son) but rather a grey training suit his uncle had picked up in the last market they stopped at, designed for the harsh wintry weathers of the North Pole. He would have preferred to put on his black suit—one that belonged to a certain alias of his—but unfortunately it had been destroyed in the… explosion.

His fists clenched on the railing. An attempt on his life—he'd had many before, but never from his own nation. It seemed certain now. No grey area, just black and white. He had been rejected by his nation's military, or more specifically: the navy; his own _country _had turned against him. Not the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation.

His home.

His people.

His family.

Head sagged in defeat; Zuko's eyes stared half-lidded (well, as half-lidded as his scarred eye could manage) at the wooden planks beneath his feet. These planks were waxed and made from the finest wood available in the Fire Nation. Although of good quality, his planks were nothing compared to Admiral Zhao's. A testament of Zuko's failure, and Zhao's success.

Who wanted to be a Prince of the Fire Nation when the Admirals reaped all the benefits? Might as well hand Zhao the throne on a silver—no, golden—plate…

Uncle's baritone cut through Zuko's morbid musing. "Zuko, we are past the border… The Northern Water Tribe Fortress will be in sight soon… I suppose…" he hesitated, his voice softer than the words of comfort he had offered Zuko when he had been physically recovering from that fateful Agni Kai. He was still suffering the mental and emotional repercussions, years later. "It is approaching time for you to go ahead with the second phase of the plan. Zuko—"

"I'll be fine, Uncle," he responded, knowing that Uncle would soon launch into a heartfelt speech on how he hoped things had been _different_, and that Zuko did not need to this _alone _because they could just _give up _and find their own _home _somewhere _else_.

But that would not do.

Zuko raised his head slowly, but without doubt. This time, he surveyed the ocean before him with the dignity of a prince—_the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, _because _that was what he was_—and held his head high. How could he be so close to giving up everything left when he was so close to winning everything he had lost?

The throne was his birthright; written in the stars, part of his Destiny, the purpose of _his _life.

"I shall reclaim my Honour."

Iroh's open mouth opened as if to say something, but then closed as he looked at the side. "I know you think I'm just a foolish old man worrying over nothing but… ever since my son died…"

Zuko turned to his uncle, mirroring his melancholy expression—regret… if only things had been different—and took a step forward, laying a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "Uncle…" he began, unsure on what to say.

Abruptly, Iroh's arms flung themselves around his shoulders. "Promise me you'll be careful, Zuko," Iroh whispered into his ear. "To me, you're just like… just like my son. If you ever keep a promise for your Honour, keep this one… please."

His nephew nodded, unable to speak, and gently removed the Dragon of the West's arms from his shoulders. He did not miss Uncle wiping away at something in the corner of his eye.

Zuko walked back over to the balcony before he would have to imitate this action. He glanced down below, checking that the life-boat was still hanging on the rope. He swung one leg over the railing, and then chanced one last look to his uncle. He was standing in the centre of the room, looking more morose than Zuko had seen ever in his life. Perhaps he looked that depressed two years ago, when _it _happened, but his vision had been particularly bad there as he struggled to compensate with one faulty eye receiving mixed messages. It had taken him a while to gauge distances, as two working eyes were essential for (what had seemed before the incident to be meagre) tasks such as these. "…Goodbye, Uncle."

The elderly man tried a smile—fake, but it was convincing enough. "I'll see you soon, eh? Better hurry up; I want you back before sunset tomorrow!"

He scoffed. "I'm far too old to have a curfew."

Iroh chuckled. "Never too old for anything, Prince Zuko. Now wrap up warm and keep your hood up to keep the cold from getting in! You don't want to catch a cold and go home sniffling, do you?"

The prince allowed a small smile, before pulling up a cloth mask over his nose and mouth and also pulling his hood up. "Bye, Uncle."

Zuko disappeared in the dark of the night.

Iroh stood, alone, in his room. "Good luck, Zuko."

-

"What does he mean?" Katara huffed as she paced back and forth in the room. "He's just going to leave it? How am I meant to train myself to be a Master? 'Teachers open the doors… it is up to the student to walk through them'…" she imitated, deepening her voice. "Using proverbs as if he was wise… humph! If you ask me, he's just being lazy!"

Sokka winced as his sister's marching became loud stomps. Hopefully she wouldn't accidentally waterbend their room and crush them all. He'd seen it happen more than once when she became enraged.

"Well what he said was true…" Aang began. Katara whipped around to face him, eyes almost purple from rage. Sokka, from behind her, made exaggerated movements to _stop what he was doing if he wanted to live_. "Our teachers aren't going to be there every step of the way; we have to learn to depend on ourselves."

"I know that!" she growled. "I taught myself the basics with _no one_ there to help me. I faced a master with my own techniques, and still gave him a hard time. I've faced firebenders and—" _Jet. I've faced terrorists like Jet, normal people that just drift from the path, but they don't know that. And they don't need to. It was all in the past._ She abruptly went back on course. "How can I be expected to master this on my own? I don't even know what I'm supposed to do. Grr… he's just some pompous, lazy—"

"Try meditating," Aang supplied quickly. Katara, who was still mid-rant, suddenly paused and looked at him.

She blinked a few times. "Meditating?"

"Sure. When I was training to be an Airbender, Monk Gyatso told me that it was important for any bender to seek balance before he mastered an element, not just the Avatar. It's all about using and learning from the other elements to further your own. We all need water to drink, air to breathe, fire to light our way and keep warm and earth to grow our food and be our shelter."

"You know…" Sokka mused, putting a finger to his chin. "That sorta makes sense… even for me!"

Katara nodded an affirmative. "But… where?"

At this, Sokka perked up. "Hey! Princess Yue told me about this _great _place…"

-

"Oh my gosh, Sokka! It's perfect! It's so beautiful!" Katara gushed, observing the underground oasis. She tiptoed precariously on the grass, as if it would shatter under her weight. Sokka beamed at his (much-deserved) praise. "Thank Princess Yue so much for persuading her father to let me come in here to… Wait a second," she turned to him with a steely glare and her brother froze. "You didn't kiss her here, did you?"

"W-What?" Sokka spluttered. "Of course not! We're just—"

"_Friends_?" Katara interrupted sardonically, indicating that she knew that was far from the truth. Sokka stuttered something incomprehensible and turned five shades redder. "So, seems like it hasn't been tainted, which is good." (She ignored her brother's outburst of _"TAINTED?!"_) She approached the small pond, noting the two koi fish. One was white with a black spot, whereas the other was black with a white spot.

Interesting choice. For decoration, she supposed.

"Right, you can leave now," she turned to her brother and Aang with a smile.

"Huh? But what about…" Sokka began to protest but their bald accomplice held up his hand, silencing Sokka. He told him that it was necessary for the person meditating to have complete peace and quiet—no distractions—and he and Sokka were the last ones able to stay still for a long period of time.

"Heh, hope you do better than me, Katara." Aang grinned as he and Sokka scaled up the stairs to the exit. "Took me about two weeks."

_TWO WEEKS?! _Katara lamented as the door closed.

She sweat-dropped before taking a deep breath and sitting cross-legged in front of the pond. She wasn't sure why, but she felt a _pull _from it; this water seemed different from the water surrounding the grassy island.

Zuko had meditated, right? So it couldn't have been two difficult, if _he _could do it _(don't dwell on him for too long... no distractions...)_. She just had to be at peace, and reach in herself to find the key to being a master…

Peace…

Peace…

Katara's senses switched off, and she focused solely upon herself.

-

Unbeknownst to her, a grey-clad figure broke the surface of the surrounding icy water. Pulling himself up the grassy bank, the trespasser alternated between panting and breathing fire to warm his body up. He finally summoned the strength to stagger to his feet and survey the surroundings (grass at the North Pole?).

His eyes caught sight of her, and he became frozen to the spot.

"Katara…" Her name rolled off his lips deliciously, and he wanted to say it again; again a thousand times more. Katara. Katara. _Katara. _Hearing her name snapped the waterbender out of her meditation. She instantly recognised his husky voice, and trembled from more than fear. Blue eyes snapped open, and her shoulders began to quake.

"…Zuko."

She staggered to her feet to face him. Unbidden, memories of that night flashed before his eyes. Her rejection, his pain… The declaration he had made to himself.

_Next time he saw her and the rest of the Avatar's group, he would be ruthless, determined… He would act like the creature without morals, a conscience, a soul and a heart _(then why does it ache?)_ they expected him to be._

Taking a deep breath, Zuko put on his usual scowl.

"Tell me where the Avatar is, or else!"

-


	20. Purple

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North. **

Probably won't be updating for a while. All my teachers have decided to impose my exams and coursework on me at once. ((dies beneath heaps of text books))

Oh, and did you know this story is over a year old ((sweatdrop)). Didn't want to drag it on for this long... Ah well.

You won't _believe _the amount of typos I found when I read it over. I really need a beta... ((sigh))

W00T! ACTION! (I suck at writing such scenes, btw)

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2006

* * *

**Part XX: Purple**

Katara had seen the damage done by the explosion _that_ very night—and he had looked much worse in his bleeding, prone form—but the sight was still a shock to her system. His previously unharmed eye marred with terrible bruising; nicks still healing from broken glass; a slight limp on his left leg. She had healed him the best she could then (and was probably better now due to her brief training with Yugoda), and he was still plagued with injuries?

She dreaded to think of the horrifying alternative of her _not _being there.

But Zuko was her enemy; the bad guy; trying to thwart their attempt of saving the world (_For his honour… For his father's love… For his _purpose… _And he wasn't a monster, not a monster, but _human.

"Are you deaf, peasant? I asked you where the Avatar is!" his sharp, demanding voice cut through her thoughts. She shook her head slightly; she couldn't get distracted, couldn't fail Aang, couldn't disappoint her tribe…

Zuko frowned, frustrated at her silence. Her eyes at first had been afraid (which one part of him had surged at, whereas there was a vague sense of _guilt _at causing such an emotion); then they were thoughtful, scanning him; and finally, the light blue in her eyes and shone with a fierce determination. A wry smile tugged at his lips—_I have never seen anything more beautiful_—before he angrily disbanded this thought and all related emotions.

"No," she spoke, her chin jutted forward in defiance.

He blinked. Had his character not been conveyed as intimidating enough? "_What_?" the firebender hissed.

"I said 'no'," she repeated, and moved into what Zuko guessed was a waterbending combat position. "If you want to find out where Aang is, you'll have to go through _me _first."

Smirking, Zuko clenched his fists and turned his hip to an angle slightly and tensed his broad shoulders. Slowly, his left fist rose a few inches from his chest and his right hand rested at his waist—palm turned upwards. Katara didn't as much as flinch.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breath in…

"Fine."

Zuko moved first. With a yell, his right hand punched forward; a stream of fire following this movement towards Katara. She weaved out of the way whilst waving her hands above her. The prince, hearing waves behind him, turned and pushed his hands out. A barrier of fire formed before him, evaporating any water before it could make contact. It was a necessary move, he could not dodge the large wave, but rather foolish as his back was now exposed. Katara used one of her favourite techniques—water whip—to lash at his head.

As if sensing this, Zuko crouched and spun with his leg outstretched. A wall of flames rushed to meet Katara; she could feel its heat even from her position half a dozen yards away.

Two options: Try and block (but the intensity of the fire may have reduced any water to steam), or make a quick evasion.

She chose the latter. Twisting her body to the side and pushing her left arm in front, water from around the island slid towards her at a breakneck speed, freezing and solidifying. Katara hopped slightly, and the ice path that suddenly materialised beneath her pushed her away from the dangerous flames. As expected, the fire condensed the frozen path she had used to liquid.

The interaction between the waterbender and firebender continued; he attacked, she dodged and rebuked, he blocked and countered, she avoided and assaulted, he evaded and once again the process was repeated.

Even though he was in the middle of combat, Zuko could not help but admire the way her body bended and twisted to control the icy waters. Whereas he definitely preferred firebending for its sheer power, the grace of waterbending was mesmerising; a spellbinding dance he could not tear his eyes from, especially when someone he was becoming obsessed with just as much as, if not more than, the Avatar.

Hypnotised by her eyes, alight with determination like a clean, blue flame, Zuko's brief lapse in concentration enabled Katara to finally get in a hit.

And she struck him hard. A huge jet of water ploughed into him, knocking him off his feet as he twisted once, twice, three times, in the air before landing on the grassy bank with a dull 'thud!'. He groaned, inhaled, then staggered to his feet, facing her.

The strain of battle was obviously getting to her; sweat dripped down her forehead from both exertion and the flames' heat. Fury still shone in her eyes, although she struggled to breathe evenly. He suddenly realised he was also out of breath.

"Why won't you give up?" Zuko panted, his voice rising with each question. "What can you do? What can the Avatar do? What can a bunch of _kids _do for the _whole world_, huh? What do you hope to accomplish? Why do you still _hope_?!"

"Because Aang _is _my hope!" she retorted, equally as loud. "I can help the world by helping Aang, who is all this world has to keep the balance! Why do you follow your father, who has shown no consideration to his own son? Why do you turn yourself into something you're not just to try and prove yourself to him?"

"Because I _am _that person! I am my father's son… the Fire Lord's heir… the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation!"

"THEN ACT LIKE ONE!" she yelled. "Rulers are meant to look after their people and encourage peace, not war! If we learn nothing from history…" he voice turned quiet. "Then we are doomed to repeat it."

His golden eyes narrowed as he considered her words. She didn't know what she was talking about—didn't know him, all the struggle he had been through—and no way he was going to take this insubordination from a peasant like her.

With an almighty shout, he launched a fire ball at her head. She dodged quickly, crouching, but did not calculate how to place her weight correctly and ended up on her back just in front of the mysterious pond.

He was upon her immediately, standing a few inches from her feet. His hand struck forward, his sight blinded by rage, and another fire ball was aimed at her face. Knowing she could not dodge, Katara bended water from the pond, intent on using it to block the attack.

Red flames and blue water collided in a dazzling display of purple smoke.

"KATARA!"

-

A bright light.

_Sight._

A bell chime.

_Sound._

A scent of incense.

_Smell._

A bitter flavour.

_Taste._

Warm water washed over them.

_Touch_.

-

"Aang!" Sokka called over the sounds of fire-cannons. The Avatar was crouched on the wall, panting. He had already taken out three boats, but he would not be able to take out any more. He was outnumbered, and the Northern Water Tribe was out-powered. "Aang!" he shouted again, "I need you to do me a favour."

"What is it, Sokka?"

"Chief Arnook is proposing an evacuation of the women and children. I'm going to go make sure Yue is safe but… I… I need you to get Katara out of here."

Aang frowned, standing straight. "She's in the middle of meditation. If we interrupt her—"

"I know, I know!" Sokka interjected, "But she's my baby sister, and I promised my dad I'd get her out of danger. It's too dangerous for her here now…" he glanced to the fleet of ships still hurling fiery projectiles. "Too dangerous for any of us." He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply, and turned to Aang with more emotion than he had ever seen in the sixteen-year-old boy. "I lost her last time… And I can't lose her again, but Yue…"

The bald monk reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand, Sokka." Yeah, he understood all too well, and he wasn't at all opposed against going to save Katara. He glanced across the large wall of ice encompassing the city. "I guess we've lost it, huh?" he muttered sadly.

Sokka nodded glumly. "Just like the South."

"This is all my fault," Aang lamented, clenching his fists. "If I hadn't come to learn from Master Pakku… If we hadn't been so _slow _in getting here and making so many enemies… I wish…"

The elder of the two rested his hands on Aang's shoulders, forcing him to face him. "No, Aang. Don't regret it. With what you've learnt from Pakku, we're one step closer to defeating the Fire Nation. You need this; we need this; _the world _needs this. In order for us to be saved," he closed his eyes tightly, remembering a distant, painful memory. "_Sacrifices _have to be made."

"Sokka—"

He pushed him suddenly. "Go! We haven't got much time!"

Nodding, Aang opened his glider and took to the skies like before but instead of heading towards the Fire Nation fleet, turned towards the centre of the city.

_I hope Katara understands._

Once he had reached the door to the oasis, he timidly opened the door. "Katara…" he called gently, not wanting to disrupt the tranquillity of the strange area.

It took his eyes a while to understand what they were seeing.

Zuko was standing over Katara whilst she was lying on the floor next to the pond. His jaw dropped in shock; when Zuko attacked, it seemed all he could do was stare with his mouth agape like a fish. She countered with water from the pond and the opposite elements collided in a majestic display of (_purple?) _steam.

"KATARA!" he screamed.

But it was too late.

When the smoke cleared, they were gone.

-

Katara had anticipated the heat of a fireball burning her hair, melting her skin, suffocating her. However, all she could feel was a warm, gentle breeze, completely unlike the climate of the North. Hesitantly, she allowed her eyes to open, and was greeted with the sight of a tawny sky. Suddenly realising there was pressure on her chest, she looked down to see a top-knot hair style, traditional for a certain Nation.

"Ack!" she shrieked and rolled him off. She immediately jumped to her feet and began backing away slowly. He stirred; his golden eyes blinking in and out of consciousness.

He sat up then asked the question on both of their minds'. "Where are we?"

Taking a deep breath, Katara surveyed their surroundings. A forest of brown trees, a beige sky, strange creatures (_was that a polar platypus bear with _black _patches?)_; this was obviously not the North Pole.

Still, the description of the area triggered something in her memory.

The white and black platypus bear grunted as it sniffed something on the floor.

_Oh… Oh no… This can't be…_

Zuko became alarmed by her shock-ridden face. "What? What is it? What's wrong?" He looked around him cautiously, eying the animals with suspicion (but not fear… never fear…). "What is this place?"

"We're… We're…" She inhaled sharply and began to shiver. "No, no; this can't happen…"

"Katara!" He held onto her shoulders tightly to stop her from shaking anymore. "You know where this is?" She nodded. "What is it? Tell me! _Where are we?!_"

"Th-The Spirit World…" she whispered. "We're in the Spirit World."

-


	21. Pseudonym

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North.**

Sorry it took me ages to write. I just wanted to word it right, and I didn't have much access to a computer. And woo! I'm introducing another non-canon pairing. Read to find out. ;)

In other news, I have a beta! So big thanks to **Everlasting Chemistry**!

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**_Flowerperson  
_**© 2007

* * *

**Part XXI: Pseudonym**

"_Th-The Spirit World…" she whispered. "We're in the Spirit World."…

* * *

_

"What?" Zuko screeched. "What do you mean '_The Spirit World'_?"

Overcoming shock, Katara snapped back. "Well it's kind of in the _name_… you know, with the whole _Spirit _thing… Haven't you—"

"I know what it is!" he hissed; myths and legends were shared among nations, albeit they might have differed slightly. "But how could we be here? We're not d-de…" Taking in a deep breath, Zuko willed his voice to cease stuttering, and his hands to stop shaking. _How can I be here when I have not yet accomplished my destiny? _"We're still alive, right?"

Katara wasn't sure. If Zuko's attack had been successful, there was a chance that she _might _have been—_ohGodsI'mherewithmymurderer!ZukokilledmeandAangandSokkaandMomoandAppawon'tbeabletocopewithoutmeandohGodsIcan'tbreathe…_

When Katara fainted, it took Zuko less than a split second to catch her, settling her upon the soft grass gently. His heart was pumping wildly (so he _was _alive); he checked her vital signs (apparently, so was she), brushed an unravelled braid from her forehead and marvelled at the smoothness of her mocha skin. He'd noticed this before, of course, but now she was unconscious, he could continue to admire the smoothness with his rough fingertips. She would never know…

Stop it, he told himself. That was neither enemy-behaviour nor enemy-thoughts. And it certainly wasn't princely either. Not to mention taboo…

"Fire and water do not mix," he muttered to himself as a mantra while pushing himself to his feet, surveying the area. It reminded him of home; the warm climate, the short grass (how he missed grass on his long voyage on the sea) and the lizard crawling up the broad trunk of a nearby tree.

"Oh? What makes you say that, Son of Fire?"

Zuko abruptly spun to face the sound of the deep voice that was undoubtedly masculine and saw a figure cloaked in back leaning upon another tree. In one hand, he was holding a broadsword, tapping it against his thigh; its twin was sheathed upon his back.

And on his face was the mask of the Blue Spirit.

-

"Unconscious," Yugoda confirmed as she pushed herself to her feet. Two motionless bodies were sprawled out before her, preserved in the same position as Sokka had found them, even though he yearned to hug his baby sister and punch his enemy. "No injuries, physically at least. All though I can tell that there's been a fight between a waterbender and a firebender here…" she glanced pointedly at the puddles of water and the scorched tree trunks.

Sokka's eyebrows furrowed deeper. The stress he was suffering was evident; his arms were straight by his sides, his fists were clenched and he would abruptly start and stop pacing.

After Aang had seen the phenomenon, he had rushed back to Sokka. The elder made no hesitation and immediately charged towards the mystical oasis, unaware of the Avatar's suggestions that Appa would be quicker. As it turned out, the love of an older sibling is faster than the love of a besotted Avatar; Sokka was there long before Aang made his arrival.

And it was lucky Aang had appeared when he did; Sokka had found the future leader to his mother's murderers lying just inside the cluster of trees in the centre of the island. What enraged him more was that his head was resting on the bosom of the sister he had sworn to always protect. Not only was he violating her with his evil presence, but also physically…

Just as Sokka's fingers were about to come in contact with Zuko's collar, Aang pushed him away with a gust of wind. When Sokka had questioned _what _he was doing, Aang had responded in a grave voice: _"If you touch them, there's a chance you'll be dragged there too."_

"_Where's 'there'?"_ Sokka had asked. _"Aang, what is going on?"_

Observing the pair on the floor with a forlorn expression, Aang proceeded to explain. As the Avatar, one of his gifts apart from the obvious multi-bending capability was the position as the bridge between the Physical and Spirit World.

However, he could not only enter the Spirit World through meditation, he could also _see _if the Spirit World was interfering with the Physical World or vice versa. He had picked this up when they had dealt with the enraged bear spirit. Now, it was much clearer—perhaps his 'sight' had evolved, or this strange oasis was amplifying it.

Katara and Prince Zuko's bodies were here, in the Physical World, where they belonged (just like his body had stayed when he visited the Spirit World). But their souls were gone, probably in the other world. Their minds—the connection between their bodies and souls—were partly still in their bodies, yet his 'sight' enabled him to see tendrils from their minds entwine with each other.

Interestingly, the tendrils lead to the small pond of water with two koi fish, where it faded away. It didn't take a genius to gather that the mysterious pond had something to do with their souls' disappearance.

The two decided to find a healer and someone of high authority; the former for Katara and the latter for Zuko. Yugoda was very insistent on being the healer once she was aware that dear Kana's granddaughter was in some sort of danger. Chief Arnook was busy organising the infiltration of a small group of troops onto a Fire Nation ship, so Pakku was brought instead. Princess Yue also accompanied them after learning that Katara was in some sort of trouble.

Sokka did not protest. He was glad for her to be under his watchful eye.

_Like Katara should have been_, his guilty conscience had taunted.

"This definitely isn't a normal place, is it?" Sokka inquired, turning to Pakku. Their deep frowns matched, although Pakku's looked more intimidating with his wrinkled face.

After a long pause, Pakku responded. "…No."

"Well? Care to elaborate? My baby sister's soul is stuck in the Spirit World, and I wanna know why!" His arms flailed in the air exasperatedly as he hollered in Pakku's face, almost spitting.

The old man did not respond.

Aang finally spoke, sitting on his ankles by the small pond. "It's something to do with this water, isn't it? I can sense this odd feeling about it. And these fish…" He pointed to the black and white koi rotating in a tight circle. "They keep their rotation continuous and perfectly circular. When I let my eyes unfocus, I can see the symbol for harmony. Yin and Yang."

"Aang—" Yue's soft voice interrupted. "I have something to tell you—"

"Hush!" Pakku commanded. "They must not know!"

"Master Pakku, Sokka has proved himself as an honourable and trustworthy warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, has he not? And the Avatar is our one chance against the Hundred-Year War! You may claim we don't need them. This tribe used to ignore that the War was going on. Our belief was that as long as we did not intrude, they would not seek us and aim to destroy our homes.

"But that was foolish! They have sought us, found us and are now trying to… destroy_ us_. He _is _our one chance – without him we are powerless."

Tears were beginning to form at the corners of her ice-blue eyes.

"But how can we expect him to risk everything for him when we cannot be honest with him? When we refuse to help his friend, a sister of our tribe, _your greatest student_ and the grand-daughter of the woman that you loved and _still_ love?" Pakku's eyes glanced to his left, uncomfortable. She was right; even he could not uphold laws when someone he had grown to care about – as if she was his grand-daughter – was in peril.

She stared at Sokka.

"And I cannot lie to the one I love, especially when his loved one is in danger. Sokka, Aang… I will tell you everything…"

Yue took a deep breath.

"When I was born…"

-

"Th-The Blue Spirit?" Zuko's eyes widened, nervous sweat trickling down his temples. "Wha—what are _you _doing here? How is it possible?"

It suddenly occurred to him that 'The Blue Spirit' might not have been _its _name: that nickname had been bestowed upon Zuko's alter ego by the Fire Nation. At first, he had found it unimpressive. 'Blue' was lame (and his least favourite colour… well… it was until he really looked at _her _eyes…) and the 'spirit' part sounded far too friendly. Why not 'demon', or 'phantom'? Much more intimidating.

But then he realised that the 'spirit' part was very appropriate. He did aid the Avatar's escape—the so-called bridge between humans and spirits—and it was much more mysterious than 'demon', which sounded…

Monstrous. Just like the real Zuko.

He shook the thoughts from his mind (_let's not open _that_ door…) _and focused on 'The Blue Spirit' before him.

"Is that… your name?"

The spirit chuckled—it sounded frighteningly similar to his own—and sheathed his second sword. "I go by many names. You may call me that if you wish, Son of Fire."

Zuko abandoned his shock and instead settled on suspicion. He took a defensive position, his hands ready to flame up if need be. "What do you want? What are you doing here?"

He imagined the Blue Spirit was smirking wryly behind the mask. "I'm not the one intruding on the resting place of the Spirits, Hothead. It's been a long time since any mortal has dared to venture into the Spirit World… around a decade, I think. Perhaps longer… Or even shorter… Time has no meaning here, in Eternity. I am simply your Guide."

Just as Zuko was about to respond _"Guide? Do you mean you can _guide _us out of here? …And who are you calling a 'Hothead'?"_, Katara beside him began to stir. She groaned, screwed her eyes tight and blindly pushed herself to a sitting position.

"Ah," the Blue Spirit drawled. "The lady awakes."

"Gnuh?" she blinked sleepily. "Zuko? Where did you get that?" She glanced to the boy standing next to her, and then rooted her gaze back to the masked figure. "Weird… I'm seeing double… but the double is dressed differently…"

Zuko decided to explain the situation as quick as possible, his body tensed to catch her if she fainted again – how typical of a _girl_. "Katara… this is—"

Quicker than Zuko could blink, the 'guide' had easily stridden over to the confused Katara and knelt before her, her hand clasped in his gloved ones. His mask had been lifted slightly, exposing pale skin and smooth lips. The Fire Prince's jaw gaped; he was fast. "The Blue Spirit," the 'guide' interrupted, placing a gentle kiss upon the back of her hand. He spoke slowly, almost lazily, but it was silky and seductive. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I know the name of the beautiful maiden I am enchanted with?"

A dainty pink blush graced her cheeks while she nearly fainted for a reason totally different than before. So overwhelmed with the teenage hormones she was experiencing, she momentarily forgot how to form words. "K-Ka-Katara…" she averted her eyes to the side, embarrassed.

The firebender, meanwhile, was fuming. Katara never behaved this _demurely _around him – this was not Katara! – She was always fierce and brazen; if she was ever rendered speechless, it was because she was too furious for words. Even _Jet _had not made her blush so prettily and stutter so cutely. He preferred the bold, opinionated Katara who he could regularly taunt and bicker with than this _little girl_. She truly was acting like a peasant…

And yet, one part of him yearned for her to blush and stammer because of _him_.

"Kakakatara?" the Blue Spirit echoed, a gloved finger tapping thoughtfully against his chin; he had repositioned his mask once he had introduced himself. "That's a bit too long, I think. So I'll just settle for 'Beautiful', is that all right with you?"

"Oh yes," Katara sighed dreamily. "That's fine." Zuko could imagine her adding: _"You can call me whatever you want!" _Humph! She had always protested against the nicknames _he _gave her. So what if they were insulting? It all mattered on the _context_… 'Peasant' and 'Water Wench' weren't all that bad… He'd been called much worse…

He forced back the urge to retch, rolling his eyes. "_Excuse me_, but didn't you say you were our Guide?"

"Indeed I did, Hothead." The Blue Spirit nodded cheerfully, still perched in front of Katara. Zuko fumed at _his _newly given nickname. He hadn't asked for _his _permission, had he?

"So…?" the firebender urged exasperatedly. "Aren't you meant to be _guiding _us out of here?"

"Hmm, well I suppose I should. What do you think, Beautiful?"

Katara looked up to Zuko, finally acknowledging him properly. "Uh… yes. We must get out of here. Who knows what will happen to our bodies while we're gone."

"Right!" Zuko instantly brightened up… well… as much as _Zuko _could _brighten up_. Zuko: 1. Blue Spirit: 1. He'd put the scores in his favour soon enough… "Then let's—"

In the corner of his eye, he saw the Blue Spirit lean forward and whisper something in Katara's ear. Her skin turned ten shades redder and she giggled uncontrollably, playfully swatting his arm. Effortlessly, the masked man jumped to his feet and held out his hand to help the waterbender up. Once she was standing, the Blue Spirit offered his arm once more.

"My Lady?"

She gracefully looped her arm with his. "My Lord," she returned with a cheeky grin.

_Blue Spirit: 2._

After a few steps, Katara realised that Zuko had still not moved. "You coming, Zuko?"

"Yeah, Hothead. Hurry up before we leave you behind!"

As Zuko finally rushed after them, glaring, he decided that he would not rest until he unmasked the mysterious Blue Spirit and burnt him to a crisp.

-

* * *

_Haha. A Blutara of a different sort. (Was inspired by the Nick short. WATCH IT.)_


	22. Phoney

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_  
_**Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North. **

Sorry about the long wait. Halfway through the chapter I had this sudden… _thing_. I hated the way I wrote, felt it didn't flow and no matter what, couldn't get the words out how I wanted them. As it happens, I still have this 'thing' but I forced myself through it. It was excruciating, to say the least. Actually, now I think about it… I only really found Katara and Zuko difficult to write. Eh. Not a good thing when they're the main characters of the story ((sweatdrop))

As always, thanks to **Everlasting Chemistry**!

* * *

**SMOKE **

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2007

* * *

**Part XXII: Phoney**

A figure dressed in red turned to the large shadow beside it, smirking wryly. Before the two strange creatures was a small pool of water, glowing despite the pitch black cave it resided in. It rippled occasionally – hinting that something about it was _alive _– and bubbled, white foam forming at the edges.

In the centre of the pond was the image of a dark-skinned girl, a frowning boy and a masked person.

The red creature giggled in a clearly feminine voice; "It seems our dear brother has infuriated the Fire Prince. Although, Dao does have a knack of irritating absolutely _everyone _he comes across."

"The Fates will not be happy with him; he is clearly interfering with their thread-work," the other remarked monotonously, obviously male.

"Bah!" she waved one dainty hand dismissively. "I would be more worried about Liang. That bothersome pixie can hold quite a grudge, especially since he detests Dao already. He never did forget about that wager they had a few millennia back and our brother cheating to steal his precious _stick_. Really, the way he acted was uncalled-for."

"I distinctly remember _you_, my sister, making even more of a fuss about the dress."

"You know as well as I do that that dress is dangerous if it were to fall in the wrong hands, or more specifically on the wrong body!" She stopped, taking a deep breath to calm herself down after her outburst. "Not that that matters anymore. They are lost to this world."

The other murmured an agreement to the last statement but scoffed at her earlier claims. The item Dao had taken from _him _was the most dangerous out of the seven.

"Besides, The Fates are becoming boring anyway. Their Tapestry moves too slow for it to turn into something even remotely interesting. A hundred years is too long for such a lack of progress with the war – they only just awakened the Avatar. This could be _exciting_, brother. Are you not intrigued? Perhaps Dao was right to make a move; we have been lazy, allowing The Fates to suppress us for this long. We must make a move now, while they are busy with the Avatar."

He fixed her with a penetrating glare.

In response, she smiled in a display of mock-innocence; the sadistic gleam in her eye gave her away.

"You would be rash to attempt anything, Yan Li."

"And you would be foolish to not join in, Koh."

The Face Stealer grunted, turning his attentions back to the mystical pool.

-

They had been travelling for around two hours and, unexpectedly, Zuko was already exhausted. He was used to long treks extending from dawn to dusk at a brisk, hurried pace but at this slow, easy-going speed he was out of breath and clutching a stitch in his side. He couldn't fathom the cause, which was infuriating, and the fact that he was falling behind Katara and the Blue Spirit did nothing but dampen his spirits further. Why was he suddenly so useless?

In a burst of childish resentment, he reflected that it _must _have been their guide's fault.

How unlucky it was that this thought was right on the mark.

The Blue Spirit, or Dao, smirked as he noticed that the firebender was falling further behind. Perfect. The effects of this spell had proven useful after all; masquerading as the boy's alias had been a useful cover-up but the draining effects on the one you were disguising yourself as when you were close to each other was an extra benefit indeed.

Maybe he'd not cheat in his next game with Liang.

Or maybe not.

Thinking of the pathetic position he had left the small yet tough fairy in made him chuckle out loud unintentionally. The waterbender turned to him, confused, but still gazing upon him with dazzling sapphire-blue eyes.

"What's so funny?"

The spell was not just appearance-wise; he possessed nearly _everything _the Fire Prince had, including the infatuation with the exotic, dark-skinned girl. Not that he minded – he probably would have found her enchanting even without the firebender's taboo crush. She was besotted with him anyway. Whether it was because of his appearance as 'The Blue Spirit' or his charm, he did not know.

"Nothing, Beautiful. I was just thinking."

"Oh?" she blinked coyly. Did she know how much of a tease she was with her full lips, pouting, and her wide, innocent blue eyes? "What were you thinking about?"

He grinned behind the mask. The boy behind had finally come to the stop, and she was too interested in him to pay the spoiled fire-brat any notice. "You're so nosy, aren't you?" he remarked, tapping her nose with a gloved finger.

She blushed. He smirked.

Zuko fainted.

They continued, Katara not sparing a look behind them to see if Zuko was still coming. He was probably brooding because their guide passed off the Blue Spirit look better than he did.

Let him sulk, she decided. The guide was far better company than some hot-tempered, moody firebender.

"I'm sorry," she apologised to their guide. It was unfair for her to probe into his business; he _was _doing them a favour after all. She was eager to save Aang, and yet she was dreading the time when the masked man said: '_Well, this is it. Good luck.' _Would he take off his mask then and – her cheeks warmed uncontrollably – kiss her on the cheek? His lips had felt so smooth and warm on her hand…

He patted her arm entwined with his comfortingly. "No need to apologise." His voice took on a husky timbre. "I like my women to be…_ curious_." Gulping the large lump in her throat, Katara averted her eyes to anywhere but him.

_Could it be that I _like _him?_

-

"Hey, you! Get up you lazy brat!"

Zuko groaned a "_nurgh…"_, wiping at some drool at the corner of his mouth as he blinked a few times to clear his blurry vision. He surveyed his surroundings: a forest, looking amber in the strange light, and a dirt path.

Last thing he remembered was walking and that dull throb in his head (as well as the stitch in his side and panting for breath) before darkness. Now, as he rubbed his head, he felt as good as new: the headache and stitch were gone and his breathing was even. Wait a second! Where were Katara and their _guide…_?

Something small and green caught his attention from the corner of his eye.

Jumping to his feet, he took a combat position. When the thing moved again, he punched forward to let loose a stream of flames…

…But none came.

Zuko lunged again, digging his feet deeper in the dirt path as he consciously imagined the fire from his stomach moving down his arm to his fist and then emerging as deadly and destructive fire.

Once more, he was unsuccessful.

"Are you stupid as well as deaf? Stop that nonsense and help me _down_!" the voice shrieked again, the green thing shaking its head as it swung back and forth on a rope tied to the lowest branch of a tree.

Taking tentative steps forward, Zuko's eyes focused on what seemed to be a small imp. It had pale yellow skin with emerald green clothes. On its head was a hat shaped like a leaf—was it an actual leaf? It didn't look dangerous; it was tied up anyway. Had Zuko possessed an active sense of humour, he may have laughed at the tiny creature's predicament.

"What are you?" he murmured, mostly to himself. "An imp?"

The thing snorted. "An _imp_? Those brainless buffoons? Humph! I am Liang, the Protector of Dreams and the Guider of Lost. And you are—"

Zuko interrupted, deciding to give himself a proper introduction rather than face another humiliation with yet another person in this strange world. "Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and heir to the—"

"The Fire Brat," Liang interjected. "Humph. Stupid; just like Souzen." Before Zuko could formulate a proper retort to that insult to his heritage, the thing was screeching again. "Now for Spirit's Sake _untie me_!"

Zuko frowned, taking a step back. This place was foreign and obviously full of deceitful creatures, such as that thing masquerading as the Blue Spirit. "How do I know that I can trust you?"

Liang rolled its dark green eyes. "It's not as if you can trust anything else here. Didn't you hear me? I'm the _Gui-der _of the _Lo-o-ost_. And that includes you, Fire Brat. I am the _only _Guide in the Spirit World; without me, you'll just end up more lost."

Puzzlement. Shock. Anger. Concern. "What? You mean…? That guy—the Blue Spirit… He's… Oh Spirits… _Katara_!" With dexterous fingers, Zuko quickly untied the knots binding the green fairy-thing. A pair of lime green wings was exposed, made of leathery skin. "You must lead me to the Blue Spirit!" he ordered, clenching his fists.

_I just knew it!_

Liang tested its wings, hovering uncertainly but managing without too much trouble. "The Blue Spirit? …He's just a story, y'know. Not an actual _Spirit_…"

"But he was our guide! And Katara… And this water bender is with him. She can't—I mean… _I _can't… I won't… We need to find him!" Zuko babbled, beginning to pace.

"Whoa, hold your horses!" Liang scowled, crossing its arms. "This guide… This _Blue Spirit_… I know it's gonna sound stupid but is this Blue Spirit an alias of yours? Like another identity?"

Mouth open in amazement, Zuko just managed to form words. "Wh-What? How did you…?"

When its hypothesis was proved correct, the pale yellow skin became a dark orange and its yellow green eyes narrowed in pure hate. When words of venom—"_Dao_…"—emerged from its lips, the firebender knew it would help Zuko save Katara, and punish this 'Dao'.

-

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Aang?" Sokka asked uncertainly from off to the side.

Guilt consumed his heart; not only had he not protected his sister, but he had broken the promise he gave his father. What made this feeling even more biting was the fact that he couldn't actually do anything. Helpless, useless, while his sister was lost in some other world with their most fearsome enemy.

When Sokka learnt of the mystical capabilities of the oasis, Aang had to restrain him from jumping into the pond. No, he had said; the oasis could react negatively, destroying his spirit and leaving his body empty. Also, even if he _did _get to the Spirit World safely, how exactly would he get back?

Pakku added to Aang's argument, describing the Spirit World as _infinite_. No concept of time, or space. What seemed like a few minutes here could be hours there or vice versa. Who knew how long the Spirit World stretched for; there was no doubt that if Sokka ventured there, he would most certainly become completely and utterly lost. He might _never _come in contact with his sister even if he was stuck there for eternity.

"_What exactly am I supposed to do?"_ He had rebuked.

Aang had gestured to himself. He was the Avatar: the bridge between the two worlds, physical and spiritual. He had the ability to travel in between and although he had not mastered this technique, if anyone could do it, it was him. Besides, it was _him _that suggested she meditate. At this, the water tribesman had protested; it was Sokka that had taken them to this stupid, stupid oasis with that stupid, stupid pond to the stupid, stupid Spirit World. If anyone was to blame, it was him.

Sokka's argument was ignored as Aang had silently sat before the pond in lotus position, breathing deeply.

And now, Sokka was torn. His sister needed saving – and Aang was their only chance – but there was a chance that Aang might never return, and the world would be lost to the corrupt Fire Nation. The Avatar trapped in another world. The Fire Lord ruling with an iron fist. Sokka, his family, his people... _Dead_.

"…I'll be fine, Sokka." Aang responded, finally.

Sokka opened his mouth to warn, to protest, to _wish_… But closed it, rethought his words, and spoke again. "I know you'll bring her back." As the Avatar, it was his job to save the world. "But just be safe, okay?" As a twelve-year old boy, it was not his purpose to risk his life.

Aang took a deep breath, and felt the tendrils of the Spirit World attach themselves to his body and spirit, gently coaxing the two apart.

"I will. Trust me, Sokka. I _will _bring Katara back."

As a boy – as a man – it was his _duty _to save the one he loved.

-


	23. Price

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_  
_**Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North. **

**Translations (…I think. Do _you _trust the Internet?)  
**Yán lì (妍丽) beautiful, gorgeous  
Liǎng (魉) fairy, sprite  
Dào (盗) steal, rob, plunder, a thief, bandit, robber

As always, thanks to **Everlasting Chemistry** for the awesome beta-ing!

* * *

**SMOKE **

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2007

* * *

**Part XXIII: Price **

Zuko and Liang's trek throughout the forest was silent to say the least. Liang, preoccupied with some magical map it held, grumbled to itself about some stolen spell whereas Zuko wasn't exactly the talkative type. Strong and silent, that was the character he aspired to lead. As well as honourable, of course.

Regal.

Distant.

_Prince_.

Except he wasn't as aloof as he'd liked to be. Katara – that _peasant _– had involved herself in his life, consumed his waking thoughts and filled his nightly dreams. Not that he could _do _anything about it anymore; his attempts at trying to erase her from his mind were unsuccessful, and he couldn't honestly say that he had put his heart and soul into it. In fact, only his blood as the heir to the Fire Nation throne was at odds with her own pauper heritage.

His heart had welcomed her.

His soul had yearned for her.

His mind had infatuated itself with her.

Was there anything Zuko could do to stop himself? Stop this _emotion _erupting from within him and drowning him in its idealistic promises of warmth and _home _and…

"Hey, are you listening?" the green fairy questioned irritably, hovering before him. "I was _explaining _to you how you're supposed to act when we find them. But if you're satisfied with your stupid daydreams, then let's just sit down and stare at the clouds all day, hmmm?"

Randomly, Zuko looked to the skies. _Hn. What clouds?_

The fairy was not amused.

"Bah! Humans! One-track minds, that's all! What brainless buffoons!" Liang shrieked. Flapping its wings agitatedly, it began to vent its frustrations; Zuko took a step back in shock from the spluttering pixie. "Why do I put up with them, anyway? I thought this job would be a cinch! But _no-o-o_! You brainless idiots had to keep trespassing into the Spirit World where you _mortals _don't belong! What a pointless job! What's the point of a guider when they don't listen? Tell me _that_, Fates!"

"You know they won't answer, dear Liang," a snide voice remarked from the shadow of a tree.

Zuko spun abruptly, his body taking a firebending position by reflex before his mind reminded him of the fact that, for some reason, he could not firebend in the Spirit World. Maybe it was because his bodycould firebend whereas his soul could not. But why waste time conducting pointless theories while they could be performing _actions_, namely the action of un-masking the Blue Spirit and wringing his neck?

Liang sniffed disdainfully, "Great; another of the troublesome triplets! I've got enough problems with your pest of a brother without you involving yourself, temptress."

A giggle. "Oh, how you flatter me, my flying friend."

The owner of the voice exposed itself, stepping away from the darkness the thick trunk of the tree provided. It was undoubtedly feminine; an hourglass figure shown off shamelessly in a tight-fitting red dress, and thick make-up plastered onto its, or her, face. She was incredibly attractive, and knew it.

She turned to Zuko and flashed him a smirk, exposing a few sharp fangs previously hid behind full, red lips. The only other alien features she had were her slightly pointed ears.

Zuko, realising he was staring, turned away quickly and felt increasingly uncomfortable. The strange women chuckled quietly to herself, loud enough for him to hear.

"What are you looking for here, Prince?" she questioned sweetly, sashaying her hips from side to side as she stepped closer towards him, reminding him of a cobra-cat's hypnotising dance.

Zuko gulped. "N-Nothing…" Idiot! Yes he was! The water peasant! A way home! "I m-mean…" he coughed, regaining some confidence, "A waterbender girl, and—" Oh Spirits, she was beginning to circle him like a predator before it slaughters its prey… "—a-a way back to my world."

"Oh," she pouted, "A girl? So I have no chance with you then?" He felt the brush of her manicured fingers against his neck. "Would you rather not stay here with _me_? I get so _lonely_."

Zuko's mouth went dry as she stopped in front of him, her face mere centimetres from his. "I… Uh… Wha?"

Luckily, Liang came to his rescue, charging between them and flapping his wings irritably. The woman scrunched up her face and hissed, waving her hands in front of her face to move the nuisance away.

"Leave the poor boy alone, Yan Li!"

"Oh hush up, will you? I was just having a bit of fun."

His face was warm; was he _blushing_?

"It's all fun and games until you start another Hundred-Year War…"

"Hmph!" she snorted indignantly and crossed her arms, annoyed at having her game interrupted.

They carried on walking; the strange woman accompanying them. Zuko examined her surreptitiously from the corner of his eye. What did Liang mean by 'another Hundred-Year-War'? It had been Souzen that started the war, and his descendents that continued it to such a long period. What had _she _done to cause it?

Undoubtedly, she was some sort of mystical creature like Liang.

Yan Li, the fairy had called her. And he had also said she was the sister of the man or _thing _that had bewitched Katara. Another sibling was also waiting in the wings; Zuko wondered if he or she or _it _would make an appearance as well. The _'troublesome triplets'_ must have had a history with his guide for him to be so annoyed with them all.

"Does the face-stealer know you're here?" Liang questioned after a pause. Yan Li smirked; it took this as her answer and sighed. "Oh boy, the Fates aren't going to be happy. And Koh and I will have to clear up the mess – you can count on that!"

She giggled. "Oh, Li-poo, you sound just like my brother."

"Because we are the only sensible ones," it retorted. "And don't call me that."

"The only _boring _ones. Dao was right to stir things up a bit."

Liang went back to irritably muttering under his breath. Yan Li turned and winked at Zuko, who blushed involuntarily. This woman certainly had a strange air about her: an aura that enchanted his senses, boiled his blood and put his hormones in overdrive. Though he was aware of these uncontrollable reactions, he could do nothing to stop them.

Maybe she was some sort of witch.

Zuko shuddered, and averted his eyes to the dirt path below his feet. If these two could take him to do Katara and help him take down the impostor, it would be worth the price.

-

"Huh? Where's Zuko?!"

Dao inwardly cringed. _Shoot! _

They were nearly there: about half an hour's walk at most. Now, of all times, the waterbending brat had decided to finally notice their third companion was missing. Typical. The Fates _must_ have had their wrinkly little hands in this. They constantly wove their intricate threadwork to make his long, eternal life as tedious and tiresome as possible. And they wondered why he constantly conspired to cause inconveniences for Them.

Cold or hot, revenge was always sweet.

But _now _They thought They had thwarted his plan, by making the girl panic. He had guessed They would attempt to stop him one way or another but had predicted to get to The Door before They could rethread the tapestries. Obviously, he had underestimated The Fates' weaving skills.

But he was not the only one who took their foe too lightly. Unfortunately for Them, Dao was quite good at thinking on his feet.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you! Sometimes the Spirit World has its own… uh… defence mechanism, if you will. They will remove foreign habitants and return them to their rightful place. The process is completely random – it is impossible to know when and to whom it will happen. In this case, it was the hothead."

Her brow creased as she attempted to understand the theory. Dao smirked behind the mask; he already knew she had fallen for it hook, line and sinker. "So… If I stayed here, I would eventually go back?"

"Yes, eventually. However, the time difference could be anything from a second to a million years. You can see that it's better that I guide you out of here, yes? Do you understand?"

She paused. For a second, Dao worried that he had been too confident with his earlier claim that she had fallen for it. What would he do? Forcing her would draw too much attention from the other residents of the Spirit World and The Door would not open unless she left voluntarily.

"Yeah. I get it."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dao stepped next to her and offered his arm – she had let go when she had noticed the prince was gone – which she took with a smile. They continued their brisk pace.

Unbeknowst to Dao, Katara's smile quickly transformed into a frown once he had looked away.

Something smelt fishy. She had played the trusting idiot with Jet before; she would not pay the same price – her dignity, her self-respect, her heart – again.

-

The Three Fates conversed as They observed the miscreant known as Dao and the waterbender mortal walking beside each other; the former ignorant of the latter scowling in deep thought.

He had evaded the first trap and managed to come up with an excuse on his feet. Impressive, to be sure, but he was not aware that The Fates knew _everything _about him, including his ability to think quick on his feet and as a result, had already placed a thread of doubt into the little girl's tapestry.

Though They were not aware of Dao's plan – as he was immortal, he did not have a threadwork – They were guessing that whatever it was, it was dangerous indeed. For the Spirit World, the Physical, or both.

"The sister is with the Fire Prince."

"She will aid her brother."

"We cannot do anything."

"The boy's tapestry has been enchanted with her magic."

"The girl is Our only chance to thwart them."

"She seems intelligent."

"Now that she is out of his spell."

"Dao will regret irritating Us."

"For every move he makes against Us, there will be a price."

-

Aang shook his head, his thoughts full of the things Avatar Roku had just told him. He needed to find a creature known as 'Face-Stealer Koh' if he wished for the whereabouts of Katara and Zuko.

"_But, most importantly, Aang! When you encounter Koh, you must not at all costs pull any facial expression, as you will discover exactly _why _he is called the 'Face-Stealer'. When that happens, Aang, you can _never _go back!"_

He was grateful to the former Avatar for his advice; who knows where he'd be without him. He partly reminded him of Monk Gyatso, only he was much more serious and never made a joke. Ever.

Aang had arrived in front of a cave. Inexplicably, some sort of force pulled him to his feet and made him walk slowly into the cave. It was pitch-black.

"Avatar," something in a deep, raspy voice hissed.

"Koh?" he called.

"Mm," it grunted. "What is it you desire, Avatar?"

Well, that was quick. He hadn't really expected to find the strange… uh… _thing _so quickly. In fact, he had imagined a little adventure at hand. This was easy. _Too _easy. He sighed. Despite his disappointment at not going through the whole adventure thing – really, he had enough of that at the Physical World anyway – he had to save Katara.

Therefore, he should get straight to the point before he delayed for any longer. Who knew where she was? What danger was she in? Was Zuko looking after her? He supposed he wanted Katara to be looked after, but a cold emotion bubbled up in his chest when he thought of anyone apart from him protecting her, _especially _Zuko. "Where's the waterbender and firebender that came here?"

"The answers to those questions, Avatar…" Suddenly, the cave was illuminated in golden light from a dozen or so torches, all burning ferociously. A large monster stood before him with numerous legs supporting his huge body like a spider. His white face was a large contrast to his dark brown body, with red circles around its small eyes and small black dots upon its brow. "Have a price."


	24. Portal

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_  
_**Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North. **

As always, thanks to **Everlasting Chemistry**!

Hehehe. I'm beginning to like this Spirit World thing.

Oh-my-gosh. ((Cries)) Just saw Season 3 promo and looks like the Zutara ship has sunk and the Meiko ship is sailing happily. Ah well. I prefer non-canon pairings anyway!

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2007

* * *

**Part XXIV: Portal**

"Name it," Aang stated, his face neutral as he remembered what the former Avatar had said.

"Oh? So desperate? What is it that the firebender and waterbender mean to you, little one? Why are you so impatient for them to return?" Koh whispered as he circled him slowly, his joints creaking and clicking with every movement they made.

Aang was not prepared for that question, yet managed to answer with false apathy. "They don't belong here. Their life is back in the Physical World. I'm sure you don't want them here either."

"Mmm," Koh seemed to ponder over this for a second before once again resuming his questioning, crawling away with his back to the Avatar. "Surely there must be a greater reason for your eagerness. Perhaps the girl is _close_ to you, yes?"

"Maybe."

"Hmmm. So I suppose you do not mind that she is in trouble… Her senses bewitched by a mischievous spirit…"

"What? Who? Where is she? I need to—" Abruptly, the creature spun after hearing the exclamation, hoping for the young boy to show some facial expression of some sort. Fortunately for Aang, he managed to resume an indifferent façade. He noticed that the creature's appearance had changed – it now looked as if he was one of those monsters heard about in myths with a dark blue face, huge brows, small eyes and fangs over thin lips. "…She is special because her brother needs her," he corrected. After a pause – maintaining a straight face – he added "We all need her."

"And the firebender? Does _he_ need her? Or perhaps _she_ needs him." Koh smirked, a dark-haired, dark-eyed and bearded man appearing as his new face.

Aang's eyebrow twitched – a momentary slip of the mask – but it was not enough for Koh to yet apprehend his face as his own. "Where are they?"

Koh took to pacing around him again. "Who? The boy or the girl?"

Oh no, Aang thought. "Have they separated? Why did they separate?" Jeez! You think they'd be smart enough in somewhere unknown to stick together. They couldn't find each other's presence too intolerable; she'd saved his life, after all, and he'd kidnapped her twice. At that dock, she had looked as if… As if she…

_Liked _him.

Moving two of his many limbs in what Aang guessed was meant to be a shrug, Koh claimed that he did not know, but that the firebender was following the waterbender's trail with the _'help'_ of two other spirits. The tone of _'help'_ made Aang feel uneasy. Would he have to battle these spirits? How _did_ you fight spirits, especially with no bending powers?

"Where's Katara? The waterbender?" he asked, his voice concerned. For now, he'd focus on saving Katara. That was what he promised Sokka. He felt bad about Zuko – but he'd get him after. After he fulfilled his promise.

Koh leaned forward and pursed his lips, scrutinising the Avatar very closely. Slowly, his face morphed back into the first image he took with white skin. He glanced to his chest, red-painted eyes widening then narrowing deviously. He chuckled slowly.

With a snide voice, he asked a rhetorical question. "Could it be? Are you _in love_ with the waterbender?"

Aang paled, his face taking on a shocked _expression._

Koh grinned, razor-sharp teeth being revealed.

The Fates intervened, weaving quickly together.

Aang disappeared, simple nothingness left behind.

Koh snarled, cursing The Fates.

The Fates smiled, basking in the glow of infuriating Koh.

-

Sokka had not moved from Katara's side, and neither had Yue, sitting beside him. Both had dared not said a word since Aang's departure.

Pakku and Yugoda had returned outside to their people – there was, after all, a _war_ going on – for fighting and healing respectively. The cave did not deafen the cacophony of battle (blasts, crashes and shouts) and in fact seemed to amplify the sounds as well as playing them in a repetitive echo.

Hard to believe that two days ago, the city was completely and utterly at peace with the ice wall glistening majestically. Now, the wall was less than three-quarters of what it was, and they were losing more every second. Inevitably, the barrier would soon be breached and the North Pole would crumble. The Fire Nation fleet was too large; too powerful; too _merciless_.

Reaching forward, Sokka brushed a strand of hair – from the unwoven braid – off his sister's face. She looked tranquil; as if she was sleeping. Maybe she was. Maybe this was all a joke and she's just tired from Pakku's training, or maybe she found meditation too boring and fell asleep. And Zuko fell asleep because he's Fire Nation and they're just lazy, evil _things_ that take good resources from others instead of making their own.

_Please wake up, Katara_; Sokka wished, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

He'd do anything if she just woke up. Let _her_ do anything. If she wants to buy that dress, sure! Who cares about the money? If she wants to eat all their food, then go ahead! If she wants to throw the supplies in the river, then who is he to stop her? If she wants to use him for waterbending practice, he'd _love_ to. _Hey, you can even date whoever you like!  
_  
Stopping abruptly at this train of thought, Sokka glanced behind him… at Zuko.

He was equally lying peacefully with the impression that he was simply resting his eyes. Sokka's fingers itched, moving_ ever-so-slightly _to his boomerang-holster. It was all _his_ fault his sister's body was currently vacant. _His_ army's fault for attacking the North Pole. _His_ nation's fault for starting this war in the first place. For killing his mother.

But even if he wasn't totally evil from the inside out, Sokka still didn't like him. He was big-headed, violent and was _always_ _kidnapping his sister_! If he didn't know better, he'd think they were having some sort of secret relationship.

…

Sokka gulped.

-

"Ouch!"

Aang rubbed his injured bottom with one hand while the other scratched his head. He had just been in the cave with the spirit Koh, and about to have his face stolen…

"AAH!" Quickly putting both hands to his head and feeling the contours of his own face, Aang performed an improvised check-list. "Nose: check! Eyes: check! Lips: check! Eyebrows: …Huh?!"

Oh no! Koh had stolen his eyebrows! The most necessary of all facial features for expressions! How would he look confused, angry, upset, shocked?

"Oh wait, here they are!" Right. All in one piece. That was good, he thought, but puzzling.

So why did he have his face still? He had pulled an expression – something Avatar Roku had warned him more than once _not_ to do – and was now sitting on a dirt path in the middle of a wood with his face still intact. Maybe in the Spirit World he had an extra power, since he didn't have his bending, of instant teleportation. Cool!

Now, he just needed to find Katara.

"If I was a mischievous spirit, where would I be?" Aang questioned out loud. _With the waterbender, duh!_ "Okay, if I was a _waterbender_, where would I be?" _Aha! With water!_ Although, water would sort of be pointless as bending was impossible here. Maybe it was a comfort thing. Like her favourite toy. "So it's decided," Aang said as he got up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "I'm off to find some water!" A lake, a river, a stream, a pond; anything was possible.

But was there water in the Spirit World? He tried to remember what it looked like last time, yet it seemed so long ago. He'd seen strange animals; since they were spiritual, they probably didn't need water to survive, being immortal spirits and all.

Before Aang could ponder longer about this confusing conundrum, there was a sharp gasp behind him.

"The Avatar!"

Too deep to be feminine, so it definitely wasn't Katara, especially since she only referred to him as 'Aang'. He spun abruptly to face whoever had inadvertently stumbled across him, only to narrow his eyes at what – or rather _who_ – he saw.

"Zuko," he growled.

-

Well, it sort of explained a lot of things, Sokka supposed. The shedding tears after he unmasked her 'hero' incident, the ship-go-boom incident, the bounty hunter making comments about Katara being his 'girlfriend' incident. Gee. That was quite a lot of incidents. And he didn't even know – nor want to know (well maybe he would want to know just so he could exact appropriate revenge upon the cold-hearted firebender prince) – what happened between them while she was his hostage.

Had they kissed?

Sokka blanched.

_Okay, scrap that earlier promise. You can date _anyone_ except _him_. And any other firebenders. And any other evil boys. And boys older than you. Better yet – don't date at all!_

Something deep within Sokka laughed maniacally.

Suddenly, Yue reached out and held his hand. He was brought back to the present dilemma, i.e. three vacant bodies: a firebender who happened to be the evil spawn of the Fire Lord, a waterbender who was hereby banned from so much as looking at the above-mentioned firebender and an Avatar who really should be considered as _the_ Avatar as there was only one of them at one point in time.

Sokka sighed. He felt so _helpless_ like this.

With a reassuring squeeze, Yue spoke the first words between them since Aang's spirit left. "She'll be okay, Sokka. The Avatar will save her. He promised, right?"

He nodded; Aang had always been one to keep his promises, no matter the cost. "Thanks, Yue."

-

"How did _you_ get here?" the prince asked. He and Katara had arrived simply by accident; it seemed an awful coincidence that the Avatar should show up too.

"Where's Katara?" Aang snarled, ignoring Zuko's question as he stepped forward. His staff had been removed from its holster on his back and he was now brandishing it like a weapon. It was only natural, since every time Zuko showed up there was _always_ a fight for his own life or for the lives of his friends. This time, it was for Katara's sake. "Did you lose her?"

Zuko scowled; his face like thunder. "I didn't know I was meant to be _babysitting_ her. If she's stupid enough to—"

"No!" the Avatar yelled, his fury too great to wait for Zuko to finish whatever feeble excuse he had tucked up his sleeve. "_You're_ the one stupid enough to get separated! What do you think you're doing? This place is _dangerous_ and now she's out there all on her own with some _spirit_ bewitching her senses or something. You could have at least looked after her!"

He leapt forward, swiping at Zuko with his staff. The firebender sidestepped and attempted to kick Aang in his side. The Avatar tucked himself into a ball and rolled forwards, out of range for Zuko's leg. He jabbed out with the stick but Zuko gripped it and tossed Aang a few yards away. The bald monk landed safely on his feet.

"I _was _looking out for her!" the firebender retorted. "She—"

Aang interrupted again, continuing his barrage of attacks while Zuko seamlessly dodged. No doubt that in average hand-to-hand combat, Zuko was the better of the two but Aang was fuelled by his anger – his worry – and had the extra advantage of a weapon. "Liar! You have no heart at all! You know there are people who need her! Her brother! Her people! But you just don't care, do you? You don't care about anyone or anything apart from your _honour_."

What Zuko exclaimed next made the Avatar stop abruptly, his mouth wide open in shock.

"I care about _her_!"

-

Katara's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of what was before her.

They were in a clearing. The soil was dry, cracked and sandy; any step she made resulted in a beige cloud of dust erupting from the ground. The forest around them was silent; no birds singing, no chimp-crickets chirping. But the most perplexing, and nerve-racking, sight of all was the large purple _hole_ suspended a foot or so off the ground, a sharp contrast to the sepia-toned foliage surrounding them.

She looked to her guide, biting her lip. Ever since she had noticed Zuko's departure, she had been debating on whether to run away. However, the terrible fact was that she had no idea where to go, what to do, who to trust. This guide was all she had.

"What is that?" she asked in a meek, quiet voice.

"The portal to the Physical World, Beautiful. Come on." He took her hand and led her closer to the gaping hole. They were merely a couple of yards away; she could feel it _calling_ to her.

She stepped forward once, twice, and then turned back to the spirit-guide. "I… Thank you, I guess." She shook her hand gently, hinting for him to let go. He didn't. "Um, you can let go now."

Taking another step back from the spirit parading as the Blue Spirit - and forgetting this was another step towards the purple portal – Katara began to panic. Why wasn't he letting go?

She began to thrash about, clawing at the gloved hand securely holding her own. His grip tightened painfully; Katara yelped. The other hand grabbed hers and tried to also force that into submission. With a sudden jerk she managed to free it from her grip. The strength she had put into the move caused her hand to rise up and hit the mask hard; she heard an angry _cracking_ noise and pain erupted along her knuckles.

The impact knocked the mask clean off his face.

Katara looked at his exposed identity.

She gasped.

_Zuko?!_

She took a step backwards in shock.

The portal greedily sucked her in…

…Including the spirit known as Dao.

-

Sokka had been attempting to braid Katara's bangs as she liked it and failing miserably. It had looked so _easy_ when he saw her do it every morning, why was it so difficult now? Yue had offered, but Sokka had declined through sheer stubbornness.

_I will do it! I will—_

Abruptly, Katara sat up, head-butting Sokka's forehead. The painful contact made Katara wince and rub her forehead whereas Sokka was sprawled across her, unconscious.

"Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no…" Katara moaned. "I've just killed my own brother."

Yue blinked.

-

Meanwhile, somewhere deep, deep in the bottom of the ocean, an old, algae-covered chest unlocked. Thick, blue gas slipped out, bubbling and racing to the top, alarming the fish it passed. When it finally emerged in clean, crisp air, the gas began to slowly take the form of a person.

Dao grinned, surveying his surroundings. After a moment, he started to swim.

-


	25. Possession

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_  
_**Notes:** **Book One: Water, Chapters Nineteen and Twenty: The Siege of the North. **

As always, thanks to **Everlasting Chemistry**!

End of Aang and Zuko's stay at the Spirit World. I'm not sure they'll wanna return for their next vacation…

Extra long! Think of this as the end to Season One. Only a few things to tie up next chapter and then we're charging straight into Season Two. Yay!

* * *

**SMOKE **

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2007

* * *

**Part XXV: Possession**

"Princess Yue!" Katara gasped when she finally became aware of the white-haired girl sitting beside her, perplexed. "I'm back! Where's Aang? Where's Zuko? What's that noise outside?"

Full of questions, Katara rolled Sokka off and pushed herself up to a standing position. Sokka murmured something about Arctic hen in his semi-conscious state.

"Princess Yue?"

Yue snapped back to attention, still confused but realising that with Sokka currently indisposed, she'd have to explain. "A huge Fire Nation fleet is attacking the North Pole. The wall isn't holding up too well…"

"Is that where Aang is?" Katara interrupted, speaking quickly to hide her nerves. The Fire Nation? She had thought that Zuko just made his way here on his own, or at least with his Uncle. It was like the raid on the South Pole all those years ago.

No. Not again. She wouldn't be useless and watch her people die.

"I must go help him. Where—" She stopped herself, observing that Yue was shaking her head. Katara blinked, baffled. "So, where is Aang then?"

The princess's eyes widened; she began to stutter. "Y-you mean he d-didn't come get you?" Katara slowly shook her head. "Oh dear," Yue remarked, biting her lip and glancing towards the pond behind Katara.

She turned, and noticed the Avatar sitting peacefully in a meditating position she'd seen him take time and time again. His eyes were open and glowing a brilliant white, unseeing. She suddenly had an idea of where he was (or more precisely, his spirit).

"Yue," Katara said, so quiet it was almost a whisper. Her hands gently gripped the older girl's shoulders, which were beginning to tremble. "What has happened?"

Yue stated what Aang had told them: he had raced from the front lines of battle to warn Katara of the situation only to see her on the floor with the Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko, towering over her. They both had bended – Katara using water from the Mystical Pond – which had resulted in a strange purple smoke. When the smoke had cleared, they seemed to have disappeared but upon closer inspection, had simply been flung against the trees, in a deep sleep. He had called for Sokka and also alerted Pakku, Kana and herself; Kana explained that their spirits were stuck in the Spirit World. After some arguing, it was agreed for Aang to go after them as he could go switch between the Physical and Spiritual World at will.

That had been around half an hour ago. Worryingly, Katara was back but the Avatar was not and might spend an eternity there looking for her.

"But what happened in the Spirit World, Katara? How did you get back? And your _hand_…"

Mouth open, the waterbender stared intently at her knuckles, which were covered in ugly, dark bruises. Funny that she hadn't even noticed the pain until she looked upon her injury. But how? She hadn't even been in her body when she socked the 'guide'; could it be that even when separated, the spirit and body had a link? Maybe because she had been so close to the Portal… Katara's brow furrowed, thinking of the strange occurrences just before she accidentally stepped through the strange purple hole. She was just lucky that thing was the real deal, with the way he had deceived her.

Thinking about his lies, Katara's mouth abruptly closed as she rushed past Yue to the unconscious firebender (her mind not even processing the fact that she was still injured and should heal herself). He was breathing deeply and his skin was colder than she remembered it ever being.

"Hasn't Zuko come back too?" Katara questioned while she looked for a pulse.

Nervously, Yue replied with a shaky "N-no…"

So he – or _it _– had lied to her! Typical. _You need to stop falling for a pretty face… Uh, or mask._

"What are we going to do?"

Katara, grand-daughter of Kana, daughter of Hakoda, sister of Sokka, apprentice of Pakku, accomplice of the Avatar, glanced to the three unconscious boys: her brother, her friend and her ex-captor.

She kneeled by Aang and sat on her ankles.

"We wait."

-

It was Liang that interrupted the awkward silence.

"Well," he grumbled to himself out loud. "At least something's going right: the waterbender's gone. That's one less job for me to do, thank the Fates!"

At this, Zuko and Aang halted their staring contest and instead chose to stare in his direction. Even Yan Li glanced up from examining her long, crimson nails. Liang shifted uncomfortably, unused to the sudden attention.

"What did you just say? What do you mean by 'gone'?" Zuko asked, stepping closer.

"Is that Katara?" Aang verified, his eyes widening and also taking a step closer towards the hovering fairy.

Liang bristled, not liking the intimidating closeness of the two – much larger than him – mortals. "Yeah, yeah, the waterbender girl. And I _mean _'gone' as in, you know, _gone_. Not here anymore."

"Is she…" Aang began hesitantly.

"…Dead?" Zuko finished, his voice a whisper.

Crudely, Yan Li burst out laughing. "Of course not, you fools! Spirits can't _die _in the Spirit World; that _'death' _is a mortal aspect, limited to only the Physical World. What little Li-poo means is that the little waterbender has returned to the Physical World." She was silent for a second, as if thinking hard, and then something in her eyes glinted, her painted lips widening into a sly smirk.

However, it seemed only the prince noticed; the fairy was turning red from his hated nickname and the Avatar was smiling in relief, whispering something to himself. Humph. Before the firebender could ask _how_, he was interrupted.

"Right, Prince Zuko," the Avatar said as he reverted back to his serious mode. He seemed unable to look him in the eye, instead glaring at the ground. "I'll take you back on the grounds that you leave the North Pole instantly and never bother Ka—us. Never bother _us _again."

Zuko frowned, was he really that dense? "You know I can't do that."

Aang sighed, his good nature too much for him to just leave Zuko behind. "Worth a try I guess. Grab onto me." Zuko hesitated; a trap? However, realising the naivety of the young boy, he placed a semi-reluctant hand on his shoulder. Aang closed his eyes and breathed deeply, the arrow-tattoos glowing white.

"Yeah," Liang muttered. "Don't say 'thanks' or anything. Gah, kids!"

Yan Li was still smirking.

He stared at the female furtively from the corner of his eye, frowning. _Just what is she thinking? _Then the Avatar's skin warmed and their surroundings began to fade away into the same glowing white of his tattoos. Suddenly – really he should have expected it – she reached out, grasped his arm (sharp nails digging painfully into his skin) and winked brazenly. The forest around them had disappeared, just plain whiteness remained.

The spirit kissed his cheek. "See you soon, Prince," Yan Li whispered playfully into his ear before she let go, fading away into the landscape just before familiar surroundings became clear: a huge cave, illuminated only by the moon and it's reflection off ice, trees, grass, a pond…

There was a gasp.

Zuko focused on two figures by the pond: the pond that had started the whole mess. They were embracing. One was pale with blue arrows tattooed on his skin; the other had long hair and was wearing a blue tunic. Aang and Katara. The airbender and the waterbender. The Avatar and the peasant.

Grey eyes opened and noticed him staring. Shortly afterwards, they narrowed.

Averting his gaze, Zuko scowled and remembered his early declaration in front of the Avatar. In front of someone that he had known ever since he had kidnapped the waterbender for the first time had _cared _for the waterbending peasant in the same way he did. And now he also knew of Zuko's traitorous feelings.

They had always been enemies ever since they first met with Zuko trying to capture him in order to regain his honour and nothing really personal towards the airbender as a _person_, but now were they truly rivals for the waterbender's affections?

His fist clenched, grass ripped from the soil. How would _he _– her scarred ex-kidnapper – defeat her closest friend in a battle for her heart when she simply thought of him as a "_heartless monster"_? It was impossible. He should discard these feelings before she rejected _him_.

But he'd tried for so long, and all it seemed to do was drag him deeper…

"Awww, isn't this touching?" a snide, deep voice remarked. His head snapped upwards and instantly glared at the person standing at the foot of the stairs, dressed in traditional Fire Nation armour and an ornate cloak with gold Fire Nation embroidery and decorated in ribbons and badges and the like. The prince expected nothing less from the conniving, big-headed snake.

"Zhao…" Zuko growled, instantly jumping to his feet in a firebending position. Echoing his movements, the Avatar and the waterbender stood and prepared to fight. So it seemed he wasn't the only one that recognised the Fire Nation Admiral.

Zhao's eyebrow twitched. "You! Why are _you _still alive?"

Zuko's lip twitched into a smirk before he made the first move: a thin jet of flames. Zhao side-stepped the attack and sent one of his own. The prince dodged but unfortunately the tree behind him was set alight. Quickly being consumed by the fire, the tree's thin trunk cracked and threatened to smother him. Thankfully, he rolled away in time while the waterbender worked on exterminating the flames so no other foliage would suffer a similar fate.

Aang had taken to battling Zhao, and Zuko quickly joined in the fray. Katara, using a block of ice that she levitated, helped Yue take the semi-conscious Sokka up the steps leading to the exit.

At the top of the stairs, Yue turned, confused, to see Katara still at the bottom. "Aren't you coming with us?" she called.

"I have to help! Just get Sokka to safety!"

Yue nodded, slinging Sokka's arm around her shoulders and hurrying out of sight. Once extinguishing all the flames, Katara moved to help Zuko and Aang.

She was stopped by a fiery wall suddenly forming a ring around her, imprisoning her. She gulped, the heat causing a dry throat and a thick sheen of sweat to cover her skin.

"Zuko! Aang!" she cried, desperate. The two boys paused in their formerly relentless offence, glancing between the caught Katara and the smirking Zhao.

"Make one false move," he warned. "And the girl gets it." Through the flames, Katara's blue eyes caught Zuko's. Now if _this _incident didn't seem familiar…

Abruptly, the flames towered up, taller and taller, until they dissipated into nothing. Zhao's brow creased in confusion.

"What the—General Iroh!" he exclaimed, noticing the retired general at the foot of the stairs, his posture set in a firm battle stance. "Well, well, well… Looks like you're a traitor, just like your nephew."

"And it looks like you're outnumbered," Iroh stated in a hard voice, completely different from the light-hearted tone Katara was used to when she had accompanied him and Zuko on their travels, albeit unwillingly.

"Humph," Zhao grunted, seeming to relax and concede defeat.

If only.

Katara was not at all prepared for the huge fireball hurled in her direction. She braced her arms in front of her, a vain attempt to block herself from the attack.

-

"I'm going after him."

"Zuko! Wait!"

"Aargh!"

"Aang, is it? You have to calm down. Katara—"

"He _killed _her! That _murderer_. That _fool_. I'm going to—"

"AVATAR! Calm _down_!"

"He will suffer. This world will suffer. They will all suffer for her being taken away from me!"

"What's going on?"

"Sokka! You've still got a concussion…"

"I need to know what's going on, Yue. Hey! What are _you _doing here?"

"Oh, just in the area."

"Gaaarrghh!"

"Whoa. What's wrong with Aang?"

"He's a little angry."

"Filthy, blood-stained _murderer_! I'll destroy him!"

"I want answers, old man. Where's Zuko? Where's Katara?"

" Ah, Zuko's after Admiral Zhao, the leader of the fleet. And Katara…"

"He killed her! That cowardly murderer!"

"Why has the sky turned grey?"

A sudden intake of breath.

"What is it, Yue?"

"The Moon Spirit…" Yue whispered as she lifted the limp white koi fish out of the pond and laid it upon her lap. "She's dead."

Aang, possessed by the Spirit of the Ocean and stimulated by her statement, rose in the air; water from around the oasis surrounding him in a large monster-shaped bubble with electric-blue veins and glowing eyes. Sokka darted out of the way of one of his enormous feet and watched in shock as the crazed spirit sunk into the water, light blue ooze escaping through drains in the cave wall.

"Where do those drains lead?" Iroh inquired, speaking to Yue in a light tone, as if completely unaware of the problems of firstly, a possessed Avatar, second, a war happening outside and last but not least, Katara chasing after Zuko who was pursuing Zhao.

"O-outside the wall," Yue answered.

Iroh pulled on his goatee, in thought.

Yue swallowed a lump in her throat and then spoke. "I… I know what to do."

-

Katara had lost sight of Zuko and Zhao a couple of minutes ago, her stamina nowhere near as great as two trained soldiers. Luckily for her, she was able to follow a trail that one of them had left behind: small droplets of blood. She didn't know which one of them was bleeding but she would have preferred for it to be Zhao. Unexpectedly, that fireball had not been intended for her, but in fact the fish in the pond which were, as Iroh revealed, the Spirits of the Moon and Ocean. Knowing that waterbenders got their power from the moon, Zhao had deliberately killed the Moon Spirit.

She had left Aang – who was yelling and acting strangely – with Iroh; she knew he would be safe in his capable hands.

The grey sky, casting everything in a duotone black and white (even the blood, usually red, was black), must have resulted from the death of the Moon Spirit. True enough, the moon itself was nowhere to be seen, even the stars were missing. Katara wasn't sure just _how _her path was illuminated, as there were no lights, but wouldn't question small favours.

Panting, Katara examined her still-throbbing knuckles. While they had waited for Aang and Zuko to return from the Spirit World or Sokka to retain full consciousness, she had attempted to heal her broken knuckles from the water surrounding the oasis, daring not to borrow water from the pond again, lest she be sent to the Spirit World _again_.

Mysteriously, the injury was completely resistant to her tries to heal it. Unfortunately, that was the least of her problems as now the Moon – the source of her waterbending – was gone and the Fire Nation was about to wipe out the last Water Tribe stronghold.

Two figures were battling on the ice bridge a few dozen yards before her; white flames being exchanged in quick succession. An attack from the broadest, and the other – bald apart from a long, dark ponytail – tumbled backwards.

_Zuko! _

Vainly, he tried to hold onto the slippery bridge, ice melting from his hands that were still hot due to their firebending battle. Zhao towered over him, preparing to break every one of his fingers so the prince let go and fell into the icy, tumultuous waters below to freeze to death. Smirking, his hand itched to do just that.

Katara rushed to help Zuko and avenge one of her Tribe's two most honoured spirits only to hear a deafening roar, full of pain, trauma and loss.

The three – even Zuko, in his precarious position – turned slowly to see the origin of that dreadful wail.

A huge, glowing, blue monster (the only source of colour) was standing in the city street, its feet on the floor but still tall enough to tower over them on the bridge. One large limb reached forwards.

Katara clenched her eyes shut. Someone screamed, influencing her to cover her ears.

_Please tell me this is all just a dream._

A few moments later, when she felt brave enough to open her eyes and drop her hands, she saw Zuko panting, bent over, having clawed his way back onto the bridge. He was shaking.

Zhao was gone.

Running to his side, Katara placed her good hand on his shoulder. She noticed his upper arm was bleeding through his clothes. "Zuko? Zuko, talk to me!" He wasn't very wet, and none of skin was tinged blue so he wasn't suffering from hypothermia. She doubted he had lost too much blood from the trail she had seen. He finally straightened up only to stare behind her. His amber eyes were wide, full of fear. A shaking finger pointed behind her.

The monster was still there, watching them intently. With a snarl its arm moved forward again, to them.

With a grunt of pain – her knuckles seemed to be exploding – Katara used water from the street below to slice at its hand. The monster yelped; its other arm flung her away angrily.

Winded, she watched in horror as the hand regenerated and inched towards Zuko, terrified by the sight of the creature reaching to _him_. "No!" she rasped, coughing as she crawled over to them. The creature now had the prince, who was struggling in vain, in its grip and was lifting it slowly. Katara reached out and grasped Zuko's hand, refusing to let go.

The firebender turned to face the waterbender.

Their eyes met.

"NO!" Katara wailed as their hands were separated by the creature's strength. _Come on, Katara! Think fast! _She inspected the monster closely, looking for some weak-spot.

That was when she noticed him.

"Aang!" she called. He seemed to be visiting the Spirit World again, his eyes and his tattoos glowing white. "Aang, please, wake up!" The monster paused. The glowing fluctuated, interchanging between white and pale blue. "Yes! Aang, come on! You can do it!"

Zuko was dropped, landing on the ground hard with the breath knocked out of him. He spluttered, but seemed to be otherwise fine. Katara watched in trepidation as parts of the monster bulged, then exploded. Wobbling like jelly, the monster glanced up, closed its eyes, and exploded. Zuko and Katara were soaked but instead of waterbending the moisture out of her clothes in order to prevent hypothermia, Katara used her waterbending to safely lower Aang to the bridge.

The Avatar blinked sleepily, murmured "Katara…", and then slipped into unconsciousness.

-

Zuko, Katara and Aang found Iroh and Sokka at the entrance to the Spiritual Oasis. Iroh's eyebrows were drooping and even the small smile he gave the three returning youths could not hide his sadness. Sokka had his back to the group, facing the wall.

"The battle's stopped," Katara observed, the wreckage of all the firebender ships and the scorched remains of the wall the only remainders of a battle that was going on just half an hour ago. "What—"

"The Ocean Spirit," Iroh answered grimly, as if mourning. "It took half the fleet, and then the rest retreated, quite wisely. Where is Admiral Zhao?"

She glanced to Zuko and Aang; Aang unconscious in Zuko's arms. "He's gone," Zuko answered in a grave tone, shifting uncomfortably and averting his eyes to the ground.

Iroh's eyes widened. "You…?"

"The Ocean Spirit," Katara replied, echoing Iroh's earlier response. Something was missing… "Where's Princess Yue?" The retired general glanced to her brother.

Sokka's shoulders shook violently as muffled sobs reached their ears. You only needed eyes or ears to know he was crying. She placed a hesitant hand on his back, fearing the worst.

"Sokka?"

"Dead," his voice stated, thick and raw with emotion. "She's _dead_."

-


	26. Problem

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_**  
**_**Notes:** Consider this a **transition **chapter.

The next season's chapters will all begin with the letter… T! Goodbye Mr P!

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

_**Flowerperson  
**_© 2007

* * *

**Part XXVI: Problem**

_What the—Aargh! I can't believe it! They're _gone

Attempting to breathe deeply, Dao closed his eyes and counted to ten.

One. Two. Three.

He was currently in an ice-cave just a few miles away from the South Pole village. The village that, if he remembered correctly, the waterbender had originated from. It was a weak, little community, the eldest male being the tender age of four. The women were not fighters or healers like the girl. He had been tempted to approach the village, and ask about his little friend; her target after she left the North Pole. However, he doubted they knew much about their one and only waterbender.

Four. Five. Six.

Dao considered paying her a visit; it was her, after all, that had brought him here, albeit unwittingly. It would indeed be a shame if he did not see again; she was kinda cute, even if she had rudely punched him in the kisser, he mused as he rubbed his exposed chin. Even with the gloves he was wearing, he could tell he needed a shave. Never needed one with his own body but it seemed even an imitation had the same issues to contend with as the real deal.

Seven. Eight. Nine.

Catching his reflection – the image of the Fire Prince – in a shard of ice, Dao shook his head and tutted. Although this face had potential, it was marred by imperfections. A blink, and suddenly his face was clean and pale and _scar-less_. Much better. The brat would definitely become even more envious once he saw a slightly edited (and _improved_) mirror image of himself.

Ten.

Ten chests. All gone. His counting had been in vain for the number 'ten' had reminded him of his frustration: the missing chests. All _stolen _by those pathetic mortals. They had no _idea _of the powers those boxes contained. Had they actually managed to open them? To use the prizes inside?

It began to seem like his stay in the Physical World wasn't going to be as seamless as he pictured. Oh, well, it was extra excitement, he supposed as annoyance was suppressed by amusement. This was the way to cure the boredom.

Problems like these would be solved, eventually.

-

"So… Because I'm the Avatar, the bridge between the Spiritual and Physical World, the Ocean Spirit used me to get revenge because the Moon Spirit, who he loved, was killed?" Aang verified, sitting attentively after listening to Katara explain what happened.

"Yeah, well, I guess. That's what Iroh said, anyway." She replied, playing with the small flask of mystical water Pakku had given her. She had, of course, left out the part of the Aang-Ocean Spirit monster winding her. And holding Zuko's hand. And the spark of electricity she had felt when their gazes locked. Not just for Aang's sake, but mostly her brother's.

After a pause, Aang spoke again. "I kinda like Iroh."

"He's Fire Nation," Sokka retorted, lazily stroking Appa's fur. They were currently flying towards the Earth Kingdom with the intent of finding an earthbender to teaching Aang. They thought of King Bumi as an excellent choice; he was a friend of Aang's, and a very powerful earthbender. A little bit of insanity didn't matter when he had those qualities.

"Iroh's different though, isn't he? Don't you think so?"

Begrudgingly, Sokka admitted in a quiet voice that yes, Iroh was the exception to the rule: a warm-hearted firebender. He remembered his compassion for Yue when she had… And staying with Sokka after he was left distraught by Yue's sacrifice.

"What about you, Katara? Do you think he's nice? When you were… Uh…" Aang glanced between the two siblings uneasily. Katara's kidnappings had always been a taboo subject between them. No one would mention them, as if they didn't even happen. There was no doubt, however, that it often sprung up in their minds.

Luckily, Katara got the gist of what he was saying. "Uh, yeah. He was. And when… Um… You know, _that _explosion…"

Unfortunately, the night where Zuko's ship exploded was also in the list of unmentionable topics. "Uh huh," Aang nodded, thankfully also understanding what she meant. Sokka flicked wax out his ear; to him, they certainly talking a lot of nonsense.

"Well he offered me dinner. And tea."

At this, Sokka suddenly sat upright. "What?! Zuko asked you out for dinner? When was this? Why was I not informed? You better not have said '_yes'_…"

Katara rolled her eyes.

"Not Zuko, Iroh." Aang said pleasantly, innocently thinking he was rectifying the situation. Something in his gut jumped whenever Zuko's name was mentioned now, probably because of what the firebender had told him in the Spirit World.

"_IROH?!"_

Sighing, Katara finally decided to stop things before they got out of hand. "No, Sokka. He had just bought some food and offered me to join him and Zuko."

"And you didn't, right?" He leaned nearer, invading her personal space as he inspected her with narrowed blue eyes.

"Of course I didn't!" she hissed, pushing his face away angrily.

"Good!" Sokka grinned, pulling her close and messing up her hair. "You always were my favourite baby sister."

Katara's eyebrow twitched dangerously, a warning to the punishment Sokka was about to receive. "I'm your _only _sister…"

-

Yan Li smirked as she surveyed the damage her dear brother had left behind: crumbled rocks, shattered ice and dents in the cave wall. How utterly barbaric. How utterly Dao.

But obviously, not as stupid as her and Koh had imagined.

Instead of using his own powers to apprehend a village then use their manpower to try and pillage other towns (a stupid move, yet something she guessed Dao would do with his bloodlust), he was going for the best option: using the objects hidden in the ten chests to gain limitless power, power that could not be bested. Power that even the Fates could not hope to defeat.

However, now that _he _was also after the objects she sought, he would present a little bit of a problem.

_Dear, dear brother. What am I to do with you?_

Though Yan Li had a higher IQ than Dao, he possessed more power than her even without the spells he had stolen from Liang. In a battle of cunning, Yan Li was probably more ruthless when determined to reach her goal but Dao had the irritating ability to predict a few steps ahead of his foe; dumb luck or foresight, she didn't know. Whereas the sister was better at constructing complex plans, Dao was proficiently good at 'winging it'.

However, with Dao's sudden awareness, Yan Li was at a disadvantage. She needed back-up; aides. The Physical World had changed greatly from the slum it was when it began; though the thought made her shudder, perhaps it would be a good idea to enlist some _mortal _help. They knew this world better than her, and for the sheer number of them, there must be at least _one _competent being.

As far as she remembered, the Earth Kingdom was by far the greatest and most popular continent. If she were to consider the chances, it was most likely she'd find a valuable ally there.

Flicking away imaginary dust from her dress, Yan Li's smirk exposed one razor-ship canine. _Earth Kingdom it is._

-

"And that's all that happened, Uncle." Zuko said, exhausted, while he gazed up at the blue sky from their make-shift raft. It would have been a little rude to request to borrow one of the Northern Water Tribe's boats. In fact, after Katara consoled Sokka and assured them she would take of him and the Avatar, the two firebenders had made their hasty exit before angry waterbenders froze them for an eternity to make an example.

"I see. I must say that I was shocked to see you holding the Avatar," Iroh commented, watching the clouds like his nephew. Cloud-watching was a peaceful pastime indeed that stimulated the imagination into spotting shapes. Ooh, a cup of tea. Thinking of tea, he really did crave a brew. Ginseng, or maybe jasmine.

Zuko grunted. "He was unconscious and she had broken her hand."

"Why didn't she heal it?"

"I asked her that, and she said for some reason she couldn't. Besides, she's just a girl. She wouldn't have been able to handle his weight anyway."

Iroh was about to reply that during his days as a General, he had encountered many women (especially in the Earth Kingdom) that could easily lift his own weight and more but was distracted by a cloud that clearly resembled a turtle-duck. Awww. Reminded him of the gardens back home. "So, I suppose with an unconscious Avatar and his friend unable to fight, the thought to kidnap him didn't cross your mind."

"Of course it did. But taking him like that, after he had brought me back to the Physical World and after she had stopped the Ocean Spirit, it would have been _immoral_. I was merely re-paying my debt to them both."

The elder nodded. "Yes, yes. A very good decision indeed, Zuko. But tell me: which thought crossed your mind more? Kidnapping him, or kidnapping _her_? I'm thinking _her_."

Had Zuko been standing up, he would have toppled over in shock at what his Uncle had said. First of all, how dare he assume Zuko would have such thoughts! Who did he think he was? Secondly, how did he get it _right_? "Uncle!" he spluttered, unable to say much else.

"Ah, or maybe you wanted to be holding her in your arms?"

"UNCLE!"

There was a brief pause after that. Zuko sulked to himself about his Uncle's suspicions about him and the waterbender – as if he didn't torment himself already – and Uncle took his sulking as a confirmation that his suspicions were correct.

"Well…" Iroh began, interrupting the silence. "Seems like Katara's saved your life yet again."

Zuko sat upright. "What? Again?"

Iroh scratched the back of his head nervously. "Oh? Didn't I tell you? How silly of me to have forgotten!" he chuckled light-heartedly.

His nephew frowned, glaring at the retired general through thin slits of gold. "Tell me what?" he hissed in a threatening tone, wanting to know whatever it was Iroh was hiding from him.

"It's nothing big, don't worry! The night that the ship exploded, it was Katara that removed the water from your lungs." Zuko's eyes widened; he hadn't even known…

Wait. If he had water in his lungs, does that mean she had had to…? A furious red blush consumed his pale cheeks as his traitorous, traitorous teenage mind continued with traitorous, traitorous hormone-fuelled thoughts.

"Ah, unfortunately not. I'm afraid she didn't give you mouth-to-mouth, Zuko."

Zuko fell back, hitting his head loudly on the wooden planks of the raft. _I really, really, __really__ hate Uncle sometimes. Always making fun of my problems._

-

Princess Azula knelt before her father, sitting upon his throne – a throne that she would one day own, and sit upon as her subjects bowed before _her_ – as he gave her his mission.

She relished the challenge; she had been cooped up in the Fire Nation for far too long, eager to visit the countries that would soon be under the Fire Nation's (and therefore, her) command. And their take-over was taking too long. With her, the Royal Family's prodigy, the invasion would be sped up easily.

Her father's speech, focusing on Zuko's and Iroh's 'betrayal' (really, she thought their soft hearts should have been seen as traitorous to the strong Fire Nation years ago), was then concluded.

"Can you do that, Princess Azula?"

"It will be no problem, Father," she said, her voice smooth and sultry. "No problem at all."

-


	27. Talk

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** **Book Two: Earth, Chapter One: Avatar State**.

No... I'm not dead ((sweatdrop)). Won't go into details... Just hoping that people are still reading this thing eheh... (Surprisingly, it was a STUPID, INSULTING, CLOSE-MINDED Anti-Zutara video that gave me the inspiration to finish this. Aha! Take THAT!)

* * *

**SMOKE**

_Smoke... smoke... had to get out of the smoke... suddenly a warm hand gripped onto her wrist tightly. Katara stopped breathing. "Where do you think you're going, water peasant?"_

**Flowerperson_  
_**© 2008

* * *

**Part XXVII: Talk**

"Li, you should relax," Iroh's voice – even lazier than usual – drifted across to Zuko's (or Li's) ears, breaking him out of his reverie. The prince's shoulders tensed even further. Iroh rolled his eyes then winced before grinning lethargically like a bearded cat. "Mm, that's the spot…"

Sniffing his nose sharply, agitated, Zuko cursed the open vulnerability of his uncle. Their makeshift raft had landed at what they had assumed was north-eastern Earth Kingdom and Iroh, a retired general of the very nation this country was at war with, had decided to expose one of the most susceptible parts of his body to the enemy: his spine.

Zuko had been the smart one, wearing a straw hat; his scar was far too conspicuous. But what if these masseurs realised who they were and decided to render his uncle paralysed and cart them off for execution? They had to be knowledgeable of the pressure points and he knew from his sister's friend, Ty Lee, that this was an invaluable skill in battle.

So Zuko had adamantly refused against being treated and instead took to brooding. So many things had happened in the Water Tribe, and now he had time to think of the repercussions.

He hadn't taken his chance to kidnap the Avatar.

He hadn't taken his chance to kidnap the Avatar's friend.

He had left Zhao, an esteemed admiral, to die.

He may have assisted a supernatural creature into coming to this world.

He had declared his feelings for his enemy to the rival for her affections.

Even if the spirit incident was the most potentially dangerous, what bothered him most was the last statement. Would the Avatar use it against Zuko? Putting her in battle against him to test his loyalties?

Or would he hide her away? Send her packing back to the Southern Water Tribe because it's _"too dangerous" _but really he feels threatened by Zuko's accidental challenge? The prince would never come across the peasant again.

Unfortunately, Zuko wasn't sure which option he preferred and, unfortunately, he somehow felt that he was betraying his nation by pondering so much on his enemy. By wondering so much on _why he cared_.

"Why _do_ I care?" he whispered to himself, closing his eyes.

"Mm? What was that, Li?" Iroh questioned, opening one eye to survey him in a lazy yet concerned manner.

Zuko turned his back to his uncle and rested his forehead on his knee. "Nothing, uncle. It's nothing."

Pursing his lips thoughtfully, Iroh announced that that was enough and paid the masseuse with money they had acquired from selling some materials from the raft. They hadn't yet resorted to begging, though Iroh's pouch was feeling frightfully light and so he was sure they would have to start camping soon.

But it was nice to have these few luxuries while they lasted. They would have to avoid the big towns and cities in any case, due to Iroh's legendary conquests in the Earth Kingdom.

"Come on, Li."

He watched as his nephew sighed and slowly lumbered to a standing position with hunched shoulders and a fixed frown. The last time he'd seen Zuko this defeated was after he had been banished and the anger and macho façade had drifted away. He mirrored his defeated position, knowing how long it had taken to get Zuko out of this funk (and only to put him in a crazy-Avatar-search mode).

As they travelled towards their cabin, Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder and glanced around, satisfied that there was no one in sight.

"Prince Zuko, we have to discuss what it is you want to do next." Predictably, Zuko's scowl deepened. "A lot happened at the North Pole, and I still don't think you've told me everything, but that's fine… I just want to know what your plan is now. Do you still… want to capture the Avatar?"

"I must reclaim my honour. The Avatar is my only way of doing that." They'd been at sea for two years because of it, and Zuko did not want to waste his life in vain.

"Do you think it is the right thing to do?"

Zuko deliberated on this for a few moments, his eyes shifting to the ground nervously. "The Avatar is the last thing in the Fire Nation's way. It is the right thing to do for my nation."

"What about the world?"

His eyes instantly meeting his uncle's determined, espresso orbs, Zuko asked: "What are you trying to say, Uncle?"

A moment of silence passed, until Iroh squinted happily and patted Zuko on the back. "Never mind, never mind! Think nothing of it! I think a good rest is in order first, hmm? Yes, yes. We'll have some jasmine tea and then retire for an evening nap." He sauntered towards their cabin with the usual spring in his step, though Zuko feared it was forced.

"Uncle!" he called. For the first time ever, his uncle was avoiding a conversation rather than Zuko. It worried him, but it wasn't half as worrying as what his uncle had hinted at. Zuko jogged up to him as he stood with the door open, frozen in place. He placed a hand on his shoulder, just like Iroh had done a few moments ago. "Uncle? What is—"

What he saw next made him stop dead in his tracks.

"Hello, Zuzu."

Azula.

-

Waving her hand half-heartedly, Katara bended the remaining water out of her hair. Aang, treading water in the middle of the river where they had decided to make camp, mistook her gesture and waved back enthusiastically with a bandaged hand, still wounded from when she punched the masked man. Sheepishly, Katara smiled and turned to her brand new water-skin, refilling the empty space inside.

They had finally reached the first signs of Earth Kingdom civilization – although it was simply a small farm or two – after days of travelling. The land was mountainous and green with coniferous forests, which was a comfort for Aang following constant landscapes of either blue or white in the North Pole. Katara missed the comforting furs and aromas of cooking sea-prunes and crunch of new snow under her feet already.

It was strange; she'd never been homesick so quickly after leaving the South Pole. Perhaps it was the fact that she'd finally received a taste of what she'd been missing. Her heartstrings tugged, knowing that from now on, they'd be travelling the Earth Kingdom for a master to teach Aang, then the Fire Nation to find another master and to face the Fire Lord.

A battle she was unsure she'd make it out of.

_Don't be silly, Katara_, she told herself, picking up her washed clothes and moving to the outcrop of trees that would offer cover as she changed. _We'll all get through this. _All _of us_.

Not that there was much of an 'us' at the moment. Sokka, still brooding over Yue's sacrifice, stared at the clouds in the day, and watched the moon at night, murmuring her name to himself. Katara wasn't sure what to say to Sokka. She'd lost loved ones, yes, which Sokka had also already experienced. But _this _type of love, this romantic, _true _love that Sokka and Yue had shared was beyond her. She'd crushed on Jet (and that jerk with the mask – hey, wait a second, that Jet was a jerk too), but it was no way near as pure as theirs. In fact, with her track record so far, she'd probably never even experience this love.

Was it better to be like Sokka, who loved and lost, or like Katara, never at all?

Meanwhile, Aang had been acting weird too. Almost becoming like Sokka with his paranoid behaviour whenever she so much as went on a little stroll. He'd hover around her and make compliments and ask questions on what she was thinking and copy her and give her stuff he'd found and watch her and ask if she needed anything and ask about her journey in the Spirit World and so on until Katara was finding herself making lame excuses just to be left on her own.

In fact, he questioned her on all events on that fateful day, apart from when he was possessed by the Ocean Spirit. He would wake up in the night, obviously from a nightmare, but dismiss it as nothing when she offered to listen. He'd glimpsed a bruise on her hip when she'd been swimming earlier that day and had instantly struck up a conversation on its cause but once she averted her gaze, uneasy, he _knew _and instantly shut up for the next hour or so.

Aang also talked about Zuko, quite a lot. He wanted to know every detail on her time with him.

_"Did you talk to him?" _Well, of course she did.

_"Did he look at you?" _Well, of course he did.

_"Why?" _Why did it matter?

Sokka had stepped in there. _"You shouldn't fraternize with the enemy!" _It wasn't 'fraternizing'…

But whenever she turned the questioning onto Aang, asking him why he was so interested now all of a sudden, he would shrug and turn away. _"Just curious, that's all." _

She urged him to tell her what happened when he was in the Spirit World, whether he met up with Zuko. It made sense that he did; they woke up at around the same time.

Aang was unusually unhelpful, muttering that he went there, picked up Zuko, and that was it. From the tenseness of his shoulders and the furrow of his brow, she knew there was more. Knewhe was hiding something.

And more importantly, she _knew _she was going to get it out of him.

-

Zuko shifted the backpack uncomfortably as he stood at the cliff-top, looking out at the Fire Nation navy-ship down by the harbour. The wind was strong; his hair managing to whip itself into his face and get into his mouth. This was it.

When they had come across Azula in their cabin, Iroh had been the first to recover, making general small talk. Azula, in usual Azula-manner, had been blunt and to the point: she was aware that Zhao had been killed, the North Pole remained independent and intact, and that Zuko and Iroh had _failed _in their mission.

However, she had said; it didn't matter. Fire Lord Ozai, their father, missed his son. He wanted Prince Zuko to return home and take his rightful place by his side. She was here to take him home.

Iroh had been suspicious, telling Azula that they would think about it. Zuko had protested; what was there to think about? He just wanted to go home. She had left, announcing that the ship would be leaving noon the next day.

Alone, Iroh stated his suspicions. Why, after all this time, would Fire Lord Ozai now want him home?

_"Because he misses me!" _

Iroh had continued to suggest Azula was lying, leading them into a trap, but Zuko did not listen. Blind with homesickness, he lashed out at his uncle, calling him _jealous _and having nothing left to live for, whereas Zuko was next in line and had _everything _to live for. He was envious of his usurped position as Fire Lord by his brother, and would never inherit that power.

His uncle responded with silence at first, moving towards the door. But before he left, he wondered aloud what would Zuko's mother think of him now.

Zuko suddenly had the impression of being doused in ice cold water, reminiscent of the time he'd dived into the oceans of the North Pole. It was a low blow, yes, but Zuko had deserved it. He deserved all of it really; Uncle had not been banished, and yet he took it upon himself to sacrifice his years at sea on a wild goose chase.

And he had said he treated him like his son. Like Lu Ten.

Squinting his eyes – refusing to so much as shed a tear because he made a promise to himself that he wouldn't cry from that day when he was sent away and _burned _– Zuko took a deep breath and made the first, heavy step towards the ship. Towards home, where his father would welcome him with open arms and say those words usually reserved for Azula: _"I am proud of you, my child." _

Proud of what, though? Zuko hadn't done anything worthy. Failed his mission. Lost the Avatar. Let a high-ranking officer die. Fallen for the enemy.

Maybe Uncle was right. Maybe it was a—

"Prince Zuko!"

"Uncle?" Sure enough, the retired war hero stood behind him. "I didn't think you were going to come."

"When I told you on that first day of our journey two years ago, that I would follow you to the ends of the Earth… I meant it. Even if I must endure a _lovely _cruise with your sister." Both grimaced. "Now, come on, it's reaching the end of the Turtle Duck mating season. Perhaps we'll get there early enough to see those babies hatching, eh?"

Zuko smiled. A real, genuine smile that reached _both _eyes. "Yes, Uncle."

-

Katara could not believe her luck.

For the whole day, she'd been trying to find a way to talk to Aang without Sokka shamelessly eavesdropping, and now this perfect opportunity had just presented itself to her on a silver platter. The powers of fate? Coincidence? Yue interfering? Whoever or whatever brought this on, she pledged her gratitude.

Currently, Katara and Aang found themselves trapped in a cave with a wall of heavy boulders and debris separating them from Sokka, Appa, Momo, and (thankfully!) those strange, singing hippies.

_It's now or never… _Taking a deep breath, Katara put her hand on Aang's shoulder, who was meticulously examining every nook and cranny for a way out. Perhaps he realised what she intended to do, and was trying to avoid the topic? It was too late now. He'd expose whatever secrets he'd been keeping, and she would find out just what went on in the Spirit World while she was gone.

"Aang," she began. "We need to talk."

Aang shifted uncomfortably. Bingo. "What, Katara?" he offered her a wide smile as he turned to face her; an expression she knew all too well as a fake.

"What happened between you and Zuko?"

"Me and Zuko? Huh? When? What are you talking about? Boy, we really need to get out of this cave or we'll never get to see King Bumi haha… I haven't seen him for so long. Do you think he'll still be crazy as ever? We had fun back then, didn't we? Well… We thought he was some crazy maniac who wanted to mess around with us… And well, he's still a crazy maniac… And I suppose he'll probably still like to mess around with us… Ah, guess we'll never know unless we—"

"Don't change the subject, Aang. You know what I'm talking about; what happened between you and Zuko in the Spirit World?"

"Nothing! Nothing! Really I told you all what happened. That was it! Honest." She gave him an unimpressed scowl. "I just went down there, saw him, and said for him to come with me and then the spirit grabbed onto Zuko…"

Katara blinked. _Spirit? Maybe it was like the other spirit? _"What did the spirit look like? Did he have a mask?"

"Huh? No… And I think it was more of a 'she' than a 'he'. Oh wait, there _was _another spirit – or maybe it was a fairy? – but that didn't have a mask either. After the girl spirit grabbed onto Zuko, she just kind of disappeared. I thought she was going to eat him or something. Haha! Guess she didn't though… So, a way out of this cave… I wonder if I could airbend these rocks away but the whole thing could come down on us then. And I could hurt them on the other side. Maybe we could freeze ice in between—"

The fact that Aang was still avoiding the main topic of him and Zuko became apparent to Katara once more.

"Aang!" she called firmly as if berating one of the children of her tribe, "I know something is going on. And I know you don't want to talk about it. But we're in this mission _together _to save the world and we can't be keeping secrets from each other. After what happened, you've been asking me constantly about what happened between Zuko and I when I was kidnapped, or when we were at the North Pole, or when we were at the Spirit World but you keep avoiding what happened when _you _were in the Spirit World."

Aang turned to face her, taking steps forward while she back-pedalled unsteadily, Aang's rage directed at _her _an entirely new concept. "And why do you care so much about what happened, huh? He's our enemy, Katara! Who cares?"

She glanced to the side, wondering what to do. If Aang's Avatar powers were activated, the whole cave could tumble down, crushing them and the others. Aang mistook this gesture for a testimony of guilt.

"So you do? You care about him?" his arrows began to flicker in between the usual light blue and an ethereal white. Her knuckles, still injured from the Spirit World, began to throb. She furrowed her brows in pain, and slight indignation for Aang suddenly turning on her.

"No! I never said that!" she rebuked. "He's Fire Nation. I know that! I… Oh!" She stumbled over a stray piece of debris, falling onto her behind and grazing her elbows. She clenched her teeth, and looked up at Aang, torn between fear and fury.

The Avatar clenched his fists, his voice appearing deeper and older than his appearance as a twelve-year-old boy. "You saved him. When that ship exploded, _you _dived in to save _him_."

He had stopped, merely standing over her. His eyes were white now, apparently unseeing, but she knew he was trying to look into her soul. "So what if I saved him? He's saved me too! And you as well! Why are you so bothered by him anyway?"

"_Because he's trying to steal you from me!" _Suddenly the pain in Katara's knuckles exploded as an intense supernova. She gasped for air – oh spirits her lungs were burning she needed air she was suffocating on this heat need some water need some air _need to breathe _–

Dark.

-

When Katara awoke, Aang was kneeling over her with a damp scrap of orange fabric, obviously from his own clothes. Her water skin laid on the side of him.

After examining her surroundings – and remembering what had happened – she quickly turned her head to survey Aang's appearance and luckily, found his eyes and arrow tattoos in their normal state. She released a sigh of relief, then coughed. "Water…" she whispered.

Aang acquiesced to her request and lifted her water skin to her parched lips. After taking a small sip – too much and she'd be sick – she sat up and absent-mindedly rubbed her knuckles. The pain was gone.

"How long have I been asleep?"

He did not meet her eyes. "A few hours, I guess. You were shaking a lot, muttering about your hand. How… How did you hurt it?" The hesitation in his voice indicated that he feared he was to blame; Katara quickly corrected him.

"In the Spirit World. You know when I told you about when I hit that 'Spirit Guide'? I've had this injury ever since… Aang," she paused, staring at him for a moment, "What did you mean when you said that Zuko was going to 'steal' me?"

Gazing into his lap, at first Katara suspected he would avoid the question again, but surprisingly, he answered. "I'm sorry about before. When I… I was just so angry because… because… Katara, I care for you."

Katara wasn't sure how to take the context, but she suspected what he meant. She was unsure how to answer; she had never really thought of Aang like _that_. He was younger than her, yes, but did two years even matter? In fact, technically, he was ninety-eight years older than her. He was both immature and mature at the same time, but he had the right balance. But somehow, Katara knew she couldn't reciprocate; couldn't see Aang as anything else but an adoptive brother, someone she doted upon and comforted and joked with and play fought with…

But if _that_ induced her into speechlessness, she had no chance against what Aang was going to say next.

"And Zuko said he _cares _for you too."

-


	28. Trick

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'_  
_Notes:** **Book Two: Earth, Chapter One: Avatar State **through to **Book Two: Earth, Chapter Four: The Swamp**.

Slight change of format. Got fed up of this huge thing in the middle. You know what it's called. You know the summary. (Well, actually, the summary's changed 'cause it's morphed into this _thing _that bugs me when I'm sleeping. And also when I'm in the bathroom, the place where one has all their spiritual epiphanies. It's true. I swear.)

Also, _really _need a beta. I am rubbish at finding my own mistakes, and sometimes when writing my fingers tend to type whatever their non-existent brains can come up with. Le sigh.

Wait... What's this? An update after only a week? Even I was surprised.

* * *

**Part XXVIII: Trick **

When that bumbling Captain had made the foolish mistake of referring to Zuko and Iroh as "prisoners", Zuko swore that his uncle gave him a split second 'I-told-you-so' look.

There was no time to retaliate; the soldiers realised what had happened, and decided to go with Plan B, otherwise known as _the use of force_. However, Iroh was quicker. With a few well placed punches and jabs, the soldiers surrounding them stumbled back, falling off the plank into the sea.

His nephew assisted. A roundhouse kick there, a jet of flames there, and soon it was only Zuko, Iroh, two firebending soldiers and Azula. The retired general grasped the closest firebender's shoulder and threw him into the other firebender. They tripped, but jumped up quickly – surprising for their heavy uniform – and engaged him in battle.

This left Zuko and Azula: a match Zuko was all too happy with. Clenching his fists, the flames in his hands had the appearance of daggers. "You tricked me!" he snarled indignantly, and narrowed his eyes when she sniffed, unimpressed, and did not take a fighting position.

"You really think Father would accept you back? Both you and Uncle are pathetic. You can't even catch a little boy!" she laughed in a high-pitch trill. "No, Zuko, Father will never welcome you back with open arms. To him, you are just a failure. Always have been, always will be. I can't believe you _fell _for it."

Growling incomprehensibly, Zuko launched his attack. Azula was weakest at close range, preferring her firebending from long distances and using acrobatics to dodge out of the way when her opponent got near. That being said, Zuko had never defeated her in a fight. Even in 'harmless' wrestling as children, which had always evolved into full-scale war either due to Azula's boredom or Zuko's rage.

_Not this time, Azula. _He pressed in close, following each dodge and flip she made. He swiped with his daggers but, using two fingers, she swept his wrists in a circle, effectively blocking the attacks. With her other hand, she jabbed him in the shoulder with surprising force.

Zuko back-pedalled, rolling his jolted shoulder. Her satisfied smirk only seemed to jar the pain that much more. He roared and jumped forward again, rushing up to the top of the ramp at which she stood in front of the entrance to the ship's cabin.

But his attacks were predictable to her now, therefore, easy to deflect. She grabbed his elbow, spun him quickly so his back was facing her, and delivered a flat-footed kick upon the centre of his spine. He tumbled forwards, rolling twice in full circles before landing, disorientated, on his back. Zuko flipped back onto his feet and crouched, facing his sister once more.

"Do you really think you're going to beat me? Don't make me laugh!" Azula sneered, crossing her arms and looking down her nose at him. "In every family, there is always a _loser _and a _winner_. I'm the _winner_, Zuzu. Guess what that makes you?"

"Shut up!" he hissed.

"That means you're the _loser_. And you know what? Before us, our father was the winner, and Uncle Iroh was the loser. Gee," she pressed one finger against her chin, appearing to be thinking very hard. "That must be why you get along so well, huh?"

"I said shut_ up_!"

One side of her mouth tipped upwards. "Fine…" she whispered almost inaudibly. Her left hand moved in a semi-circle while the other arm mirrored the action on her right side. Tiny, blue flames followed her perfectly manicured nails, becoming thinner and thinner and beginning to emit a '_crackling' _noise. Realising what she was about to do, Zuko started to sprint up the ramp towards her, yet had the feeling he was already too late.

He was. She suddenly pointed both fingers upon him, the blue lightning aiming straight for his face.

A body moved in front of Zuko and suddenly the attack was diverted to the same cliff he had been standing on earlier, where some rocks tumbled onto the rocky path below it that led to the harbour. He glanced up, noticing the grey top-knot. Uncle.

Azula was about to make a witty barb about having to have an _old man _defend him, but Iroh gave her no choice. He ascended the ramp in a fraction of a second and used a powerful roundhouse kick to catch the princess on the back of her neck and get her stumbling towards the ship's railing.

She attempted to jab his shoulder like she had done to Zuko, but he pushed against her wrist to block it. She then tried to catch his face with her foot, sweeping her leg high, but he simply leant back, caught her foot and used her momentum against her to flip her over the railing and into the sea below.

He did not stay to listen to the inevitable _splash! _Instead, he yanked onto Zuko and pulled him back off the ship via the plank.

Azula, meanwhile, spat the salt water out of her mouth and wiped her wet bangs out of her face. The water around her fizzed and bubbled dangerously.

_Uncle…! _

-

Sighing, Katara tried to distract herself from boredom by playing with Appa's fur. Aang was teasing Momo with a leechi nut half-heartedly; Sokka was snoring loudly; Appa kept yawning. Sleep deprivation was not the cause at all, but simply the sheer lack of things to do.

After Sokka and some giant badger-moles (who's earthbending assistance Appa and Momo had pleaded for in a mixture of groans, roars, shrieks and clicking) had broken into the air pocket Katara and Aang were stuck in, they had travelled instantly across almost the entire continent of Earth Kingdom to Omashu, and stood outside the gates, only to be refused entry. King Bumi had explicitly said to the border patrol that they were _not _be allowed in.

Of course, this had mattered little to the Avatar, the only female waterbending master and the self-proclaimed "greatest warrior of the South Pole", who had suspected a little mystery afoot. Surely, Bumi – Aang's childhood friend – would refuse to help them when the world was in such peril?

After constructing an elaborate scheme involving Momo, Appa, and a lot of hay, the three snuck past the guards into the city and slid into the palace, unnoticed.

Bumi was not surprised, waiting for them while sitting upon his tall, emerald green throne.

He explained to Aang that although an _excellent _earthbender, if he didn't say so himself, there was some earthbenders even greater than the Earth King, and far better teachers.

"It's important to not just rely on what you see before you, Aang. You must put your ear to the ground and _listen_."

And that was it. Bumi simply refused to teach Aang, End-Of-World approaching or not, and left him with riddles that none of them could make sense of. It was depressing, to say the least. Unless Aang could find an earthbending teacher, he would never be able to learn all of the elements and defeat the Fire Lord. They knew it would be difficult to find a willing firebender but always considered that King Bumi would be the safe bet as the earthbender to teach Aang.

Which left them in this current predicament. None of them knew where to look for a better earthbender and teacher than Bumi; none of them knew what his vague advice meant; none of them knew just _what _to do now. They simply settled for wandering aimlessly, hoping for an earthbending teacher to fall from the sky.

Sokka coped with it as he coped with mostly everything: sleeping and eating.

Aang preoccupied himself with playing with Momo and talking to Appa.

Katara was left with the things she had learnt in that cave.

She hadn't spoken with Aang since apart from the casual "Can you pass the leechi nut?": they had a few bags full of them, as they were long-lasting food. So much had been revealed since she'd decided to corner Aang that she wasn't sure what she was meant to say.

_"You and Zuko are fighting for my affections? Oh, that's nice." _

Having to remain mindful of Aang's feelings, Katara understood, after deliberating over it for days, that although she did care for Aang deeply, it was simply as a younger brother – someone she took it upon herself to watch over – and she could not break his heart by revealing this to him, even though she could end up stringing him along.

Zuko, on the other hand, was a completely different matter.

She wasn't even sure if she _did _care for him. The waterbender always attempted to be compassionate to others, with the exception of firebenders. Zuko was a firebender, and yet she felt compelled to save his life. Once, when his ship exploded, and twice, when the Ocean Spirit attacked him. He'd kidnapped her; threatened her; fought her…

Yet, she did feel _something _towards him. Sympathy? She knew his basic intentions were good, though the means of fulfilling them were completely wrong. Gratitude? He had rescued her from that Fire Nation admiral, and revealed Jet's psychotic nature. Stockholm Syndrome? She _had _been around him for a long time.

Something in her gut – or was it her heart? – told her that wasn't it. There was something more.

Did she care for Zuko, the same way he cared for her?

Did she love him?

_Bah! _She dismissed the thought, sitting up and rearranging her hair. Zuko had probably been lying when he told Aang that, a diversion tactic so that Aang stopped fighting him. Typical of a firebender to use underhand tactics.

_Yeah, better not to read into it at all. _

"Hey, you guys—" Aang begun, but was interrupted as Appa suddenly lurched backward, rearing. Sokka jumped awake, screaming about mongoose-dragons coming to paralyse him before falling half-way down Appa's back and having to grip onto the back of the saddle. Katara's head whipped around to see whatever was pulling them, to see a thick, green vine wrapped around the bison's leg and coaxing them downwards, into the forest below.

Katara slipped, desperately grasping at Appa's fur but simply tearing out chunks of it as she descended.

Sokka caught her with one hand, but strained with the effort of handling both his and her weight with one hand. Aang was busy trying to calm Appa.

She looked down into the trees, which seemed so far down she was sure it would take her minutes to reach them if she fell, and glanced back up to her brother.

For a second, she did not see him as Sokka but instead as a scarred prince, soaked in rain. She had faced a life-and-death situation like this before, with Zuko.

She had survived then, but was not sure she would now.

Suddenly, the vine seemed to have a change of heart… Or whatever was influencing it to attack them. It unwound from the flying bison's leg and instead tugged on Katara's leg.

Katara gasped with fear. Sokka cringed with the added weight. One of his fingers on the saddle slipped. His sister noticed. The thing tugged harder. Tears filled her eyes. She bit her lip, conflicted.

She knew what she had to do.

Tears filled his. He shook his head vehemently.

"Don't you dare, Katara! _Don't you_ _dare_!"

But her choice had already been made. Using her other hand, she pried her fingers from his grasp and down she fell.

Down, down, into the canopy below.

-

Grimacing, Iroh leant back, his arms behind pushing into the bottom of his spine. A _click! _sounded and the retired general exhaled in relief. His earlier dodge of his niece's boot had led to incredible back pain, but Iroh only considered dealing with it until they'd been far enough from the coast and hidden from view. They had decided it to be a small stream ten minutes' run into the forest that surrounded the lodge they had been staying in. The pain in his spine had been a hindrance, but Iroh had suffered through far worse; for example, hobbling his way through a network of tunnels with two broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder – the result of a rather messy encounter with earthbenders. Of course, their injuries were far worse than his.

He turned to his nephew, eyes creasing and lips opening to lighten the atmosphere with a witty remark about their lucky escape… but he paused when he saw Zuko staring into his reflection in the stream, a knife – the very knife Iroh had bestowed upon him as a child – before him, glinting in the midday sun.

"Uncle," Zuko spoke, slowly as if testing the words. "You were right. About Azula. About my father. About everything. I'm so—"

Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his apology. "Zuko, it was not your fault. Azula was well aware of your desire to be home, and she used it against you. I know how much you miss the Fire Nation."

"I'm not so sure if I do anymore."

His uncle blinked. "Zuko?"

"In the Fire Nation, I would still be considered an outcast. My father has scarred me, my sister has used me… Only you and Mother…" he took a deep breath, and Iroh noticed his eyes glistening with tears. "I'm not sure I want to go back to that, anyway. There is nothing for me there. Nothing and no one."

In a sudden show of defiance, despite his silent tears, Zuko gripped onto his pony-tail and sliced the hair as close to his head as possible. The hair fell into the stream, and drifted away.

Iroh gasped; surely Zuko knew what that _meant_!? Was he really turning on his back to his country, to his birthright?

_Well, think of what _you _were going to say to him earlier. At least he has made his own decision. At least he has chosen a path on his own, finally. _He squeezed his nephew's shoulder. Words did not need to be said.

_But I cannot help but feel he is not completely sure… _

-

"Aang? Sokka? Appa? …Momo?"

Katara shivered, goose-bumps rising across her skin. She was alone; an hour since she had been separated from Aang and the others by that strange plant.

She had landed, unharmed, on a bed of those vines surrounded by muddy water. Instantly, they had all pinched her and tried to detain her, but the swamp water enabled her to make her escape, cutting and slicing at any moving shoot. Then, she had run.

Now she had wandered into an ominous fog, so thick she could hardly see more than arm-length away. And even worse, her knuckles were beginning to throb again.

Falling onto her knees in the muddy water, Katara paid no mind to her stained clothes and instead supported her head with her hands, sobbing and heaving pathetically. What was she meant to do? Where was she meant to go?

It had been so long since she'd been alone. Even in the Spirit World, she'd had Zuko to begin with.

Zuko again. Why did she always manage to bring him into every topic?

_It's because of what Aang said_, Katara rationalised._ I'm just being a girl, flattered by his attentions. But not anything more. Never anything more. _

"Hey, Beautiful."

She tensed, recognising the voice, remembering her _nickname_. Slowly, carefully, she lifted her head from her hands and surveyed the person – _thing – _standing in front of her, starting from their feet. He wore black, form-fitting clothes (still highlighting every toned muscle), just like when she had first met him, although now his face was exposed. She'd only glimpsed it once for a brief moment before entering the portal, but now could focus on it completely.

He – or _it_ – was the spitting image of Zuko, from the glint of his amber eyes to his angular jaw, with one significant exception: the absence of the exiled prince's infamous scar.

He grinned, exposing a mouth of perfectly aligned, white teeth. _Does Zuko ever smile like this? _

"Trick or treat?"

-


	29. Team

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**_**  
**_**Notes:** Since I'm messing with timelines now, I'm not going to bother with the whole episodes anymore.

LONG A/N 'cause well… I have been gone a LONG time. Most of it is very important. Oh and you got a LONG chapter too (longest I have ever written) because of my LONG absence.

Oh, and by-stander has taken a peek into my subconcious and believes that I have chosen 'P' for the first half to stand for Pakku and 'T' for the second half to stand for Toph. Sounds smart, so I'll nod my head and say that was my plan all along... ((cough)) Luckily I'm not doing a third section 'cause I'd be racking my brain for Z-words.

Please note that the first section of this chapter with Dao takes place before his encounter with Katara. And croconda: crocodile and anaconda (I imagine it as a thinner and longer crocodile with a shorter snout and no teeth that hisses). I just love anacondas. In the fear-and-respect way. No way I'm gonna mess with an anaconda. No way. I've seen that movie with Jennifer Lopez.

Um, **question**. Hypothetically, if this story implied that Mai cut off Yan Li's foot – but there was no blood, the foot simply grows back and the scene ends before the cut was made – would the rating have to go up to a T? I really want to stick to Kplus, but… And no, I promise Yan Li isn't going to lose her foot. It's just an example of what I'm planning.

REMEMBER! The first scene takes place _before _last chapter.

* * *

**Part XXIX: Team**

Considered the most "_barbaric and uncivilised and just plain rude" _sibling of his family, Dao felt utterly at home in the swamp. The brown, murky water sloshed around his ankles as he marched along and the calls of the swamp's residents resonated in his ears. If he was a mortal, and therefore had a mortal's body with blood and organs and all that slushy stuff, he was sure that his blood would be buzzing. It was what the swamp did to him.

Or maybe it was more to do with the fact that he was getting close.

Shoving a broad-leaved fern out of his face – jeez, these plants were almost as huge as the ones in the Spirit World – Dao advanced further and almost stepped upon a croconda.

It hissed and withdrew its head backwards: a brief warning that it was preparing to strike. One glance, however, sent the croconda hastily scurrying into a nearby bush and out of sight. Dao smirked and continued on his path towards his objective. He still had a long way to go and the swampy marshes, although he did enjoy wading through them, were hindering him greatly.

Walking was a pain. In he Spirit World, pulling the correct root could warp you to another place that would take you mortal-years to travel to. It took millennia of experience to work out which one was which; unfortunately, Dao had been subjected to more than just millennia of eternal torment and pointless wandering in that stupid, stupid, _stupid _world.

The mortal world was so much more fun. So much more dangerous, when their lives could end at any moment, yet they didn't seem to think about it at all, content with drinking and laughing and pillaging. If this world was to be described with one word, it would be 'greedy'.

Often labelled with such a word by the other spirits, Dao felt that he'd fit in just fine. And once he obtained the items, this greedy world could be taken over by him, the greedy leader. He'd take it all. Their treasures, their resources, their services; all of it would become his, in due time.

Of course, this time would be much sooner if he could find some way to navigate through the swamp faster.

No later than this curse had passed through his mind, than a boat of some kind whizzed past in a booming roar.

_What the…? What _is _that? A boat… powered by waterbenders?_

In the distance, a cacophonous whirr began to grow louder, and closer. As the speeding boat entered viewing distance he flagged it down with his twin broadswords. The waterbender slowed it to a stop while a large, hairy man that was sitting at the stern and had only leaves to hide his modesty stood and pointed at him with a dirt-encrusted finger, exposing another different thick forest as an armpit.

"Who are ya? And what d'ya want coming in our 'ere swamp? 'S off limits for the likes of ya, outsider! Ya just mess up our swamp!"

Raising his hands in the universal sign – mortals and immortals – for meaning no harm, Dao pulled on his best sincere expression. "I have no intention of changing your swamp in the slightest. It's perfect, really. I'm just on the lookout for some treasure, you see…"

At the magic t-word, the swamp inhabitants' ears perked up like badger-wolves. On the boat, the two men began to whisper to each other while the captain lowered his finger slowly. Yep, they sure lived up to this world's reputation of being covetous.

"Did ya say 'treasure', stranger?"

"Why, yes, treasure. I've been wading through this swamp for days and you see, I could really do with some guides that know the area. And of course, I'd be glad to offer them part of the treasure for their help."

At that, the swamp-men found it difficult to contain their smirks. When they enthusiastically ushered him onto their boat, Dao had trouble hiding his, too.

-

"Hey, Aang. I was getting some supplies and I heard some guys talking… Hello? Aang? Hellooooo?"

The Avatar sluggishly lifted his head from his arms and turned his head from the windowsill of their luxury flat, generously provided by the landlord when he made the discovery that yes, yes, that bald, morose-looking boy was indeed the Avatar complete with a son of the Water Tribe and a flying lemur, although missing the waterbender that was said to be travelling with him as well.

Upon questioning on the whereabouts of the waterbender, he was treated with an awkward silence and decided that that would be the opportune moment to leave them with their tasks.

Tasks that Sokka had taken responsibility that would be seen through; it would have been what his sister wanted. They had stopped in this Earth Kingdom town in order to allow Appa to rest in the fields encompassing the main village and to gather supplies for the trip. Usually Katara would have been entrusted with shopping, since Sokka liked shiny things on the point of obsession and Aang had trouble separating the necessaries and the luxuries. They'd had enough cream-puffs for breakfast, lunch and dinner (not that Sokka was complaining, although more meat would have been appreciated) to realise that Katara should have the title of Head Shopper.

Now that she was _gone_ and Aang was so listless he could barely manage to speak, the job was instantly thrust upon Sokka, though he wished he could follow his friend and wait for her to appear magically at their front door.

"_Look at this mess!" _she would say as she navigated her way around their sleeping bags and maps, "_What have you guys being doing all this time?"_

Well, missing her of course.

"_Sokka, honestly! You're so silly sometimes. I just went to perfect my waterbending, that's all! Look at this!"_

And then she would summon a huge tidal wave and take out the whole of the Fire Nation in one move. They would all go back to the South Pole and stew sea-prunes and tell humorous stories of all the trouble they went through with that stupid prince and hey, Katara, I thought you _liked _him or something.

But next Sokka's daydream morphed into something horrible as she laughed and instructed him to take a closer look at her necklace, which didn't have the same carving as it did before – instead, it was a small blue fire. Suddenly Zuko would be there and kissing her and telling him that they were marriedso that made them _brothers _and Katara grew a bump and the Fire Lord had somehow survived and was cooing and gushing at Katara's inflated belly, saying how proud he was to become a grandfather and – and –

"What, Sokka?" Aang muttered, thankfully breaking him out of his reverie.

"Uh, right, well, I heard some guys talking and apparently this place has some sort of earthbending tournament coming up and one person always wins. He's called The Blind Bandit or something, but you know, we should really ask him to help us. King Bumi told us to listen and we did, sorta. So maybe this is the guy."

The Avatar sighed. "What's the point?"

Sokka walked over to Aang and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm missing Katara just as much as you are but… If it was me, if I was gone, she'd be telling you what I'm about to tell you: we have to carry on and save the world. Maybe this Blind Bandit guy knows about that swamp, and can help us find her. Come on, you know that if Katara was here she'd be pushing you on."

"I suppose… so when's the tournament?"

-

"Zuko! Hey, Zuko!"

Blinking himself out of his daydream, Zuko turned to face his uncle. "Huh?"

Iroh sighed, settling himself to sit upon the log Zuko was resting against. It seemed that his nephew was constantly inattentive now. Sure, on the sea he'd have his off days but ever since they'd seen Azula he'd constantly been caught into that little world of his. And the problem was, the retired general had no idea whether he should leave him with his head in the clouds or break him out of any angst that might be plaguing him. It all depended on what he was thinking of: Katara (in which case he should leave him alone as a lovesick teenager) or Azula (in which case he should keep his mind off it as often as possible).

"I _said _we should head into a town tomorrow to get some supplies." He absent-mindedly touched where his top-knot should be and lowered his hand once he remembered that he had followed Zuko's suit in casting off his ties to the Fire Nation a few days before.

Zuko frowned. "How can we get any supplies? We haven't got any money. Unless you mean…"

"No, oh no, Zuko! It would be immoral to take from businesses that are already struggling because of the war. We'll have to earn it as honest people."

His nephew did not look impressed. "Who would employ us, Uncle? We look like animals."

"We'll be self-employed! Street performers. I always did enjoy a good sing-song. If only we had a Sunghi horn!" he lamented as he clapped his hands together, "I'm sure your playing would attract many people."

"You mean we'd be begging," Zuko translated dryly.

"It will be a great judge of character."

"It'll be degrading."

"No more degrading than wallowing in your own filth until you starve yourself."

"…"

The next day, Zuko sulked as Iroh complimented a group of three giggling girls on their "youthful beauty" and declared his envy for any young man that may strike their fancy, "such as my strapping nephew here!" he grinned as he interlocked his arm in Zuko's (who had been on the verge of escape, foreseeing what his uncle was planning).

The giggling girls continued with their high-pitched trills – reminding Zuko too much of irritating birds – and bent slightly, trying to see under the hat Zuko had hid his disfiguring scar behind. He shrunk uncomfortably under their gaze, knowing that the sight of the marred flesh would cause them to recoil in disgust. On the sea, he had not had much contact with girls but the rare occasions in port towns had taught him that this was the customary response.

His uncle noticed his change in posture and redirected the attention to himself.

"Well, ladies, since we are unfortunately suffering in poverty, could you please spare us some loose change? Every coin counts!" He picked up the small cracked bowl they had found upon wandering in the small Earth Kingdom village.

Placing a few bronze coins in the bowl, the girls sauntered away with one last glance in Zuko's direction. He avoided eye contact completely as he picked at the sleeves of his dirty robe idly; had he looked up, he would have seen the disappointed frown that soon followed.

The hours passed by slowly, with the intake remaining pathetically small. The monotony of watching people walk past and ignore his uncle's pleasant greetings was interrupted by the sweet smell of freshly baked bread. Sniffing, he noticed the steaming loaf on the windowsill above where they were seated.

Zuko's stomach growled. He reached one hand up, only to have it be slapped away. He cradled the hand and cast an indignant look towards his uncle.

"What?" he snapped. "It's only a loaf of bread. It's not as if they'll miss it."

"Zuko," Iroh warned in the tone he used for all his lectures, "Look around you. Do you see any extravagant palaces and mansions like in the Fire Nation? These people were not born with riches. They have had to work for it, and continued to work for it. Now we must do the same. Though begging may seem to you as being undignified, nothing will bring you more dishonour than stealing."

He frowned. Trust his uncle to hit his sensitive spot.

"And what will you do if you get caught, Zuko? Bring attention to yourself, hmm?"

Zuko bit back the reply that if a whole Fire Nation platoon couldn't catch him when he had been bailing out the Avatar, no measly Earth Kingdom shopkeeper could possibly pose a threat.

Instead, he crossed his arms and resumed his sulking.

-

The Earth Kingdom capital of Ba Sing Se was interesting, to say the least. In the lower levels, you would find the hardest-working and the poverty-stricken, living in mud huts and making do with rags, rice and sparsely-placed water pumps. In the middle district, the houses were permanent, the services were adequate and the jobs were much more comfortable than the poor region's strenuous labour.

But by far, the laziest and least-deserving of their living conditions were the pompous nobles that inhabited the highest level. Idly drinking tea and gossiping, they didn't even tidy their own mess, employing workers from the poorer districts. Usually the only reason they had the extra privileges was a relation to royalty or an important ancestor that may have died a hundred years before.

Yan Li found this social system incredibly amusing. Hard work went unnoticed. A person's merit was judged by their name.

And their king – their supposed top dog – was being controlled by someone that was meant to be his subject. The same subject who, quite craftily, if the Mistress of Manipulation did not say so herself, had managed to hide the raging war outside Ba Sing Se's precious walls from their young king.

Long Feng. In the army, he had risen through the ranks thanks to his earthbending prowess and sharp-tongue. Much like Yan Li, he knew the best thing to say and when was the best opportunity to say it. Now, he had the esteemed position of the king's personal advisor, but his control extended further than the king himself. He was the sole leader of the Dai Li, a secretive, deadly earthbending troop that dabbled in brain-washing and torture to ensure that no one shattered the brittle illusion Long Feng had put in place.

There was no war within the walls of Ba Sing Se.

However, as cunning and perceptive as Long Feng had proved to be, her espionage had gone completely unnoticed. She had blended in as a poor refugee and a small smile and bat of the eyelashes here and there had permitted her almost anywhere, with the exception of one place: Lake Laogai.

Every person – be it shopkeeper or Dai Li agent – had denied such a place existing, although she had heard the name crop up several times when spying upon Long Feng's activities. That, she assumed, was where all the 're-education' took place, as he exterminated all threats to their peaceful, happy utopia. The _way _he emptied their minds made her extremely curious, knowing such an object that had the capability to do so. Once she had procured the item, she would turn her attention to Long Feng and the Dai Li, to persuade them to aid her in the fight against her brother in gaining the other treasures.

However, locating Lake Laogai was difficult. She was sure that it was to be found outside the walls, but surrounding Ba Sing Se was nothing but days upon days of desert (she knew, she had had to journey through it to locate the so-called last refuge of the Earth Kingdom, since Omashu had been claimed by the Fire Nation) or numerous lakes that provided the city as water supplies. She suspected Lake Laogai did have something to do with these lakes but the key to entrance was earthbending. Lacking in these powers, she had been forced to gain entrance by another means.

She'd been tailing the Dai Li agent Quan for days now, and was certain she knew everything about him, from his demanding wife and bratty children to his obsessive compulsion to go empty his bladder when the sun rose, was highest in the sky, and set. Mortals were odd.

So far, her efforts had proved futile but the natural order of things dictated that the second she left him alone, he would journey into Lake Laogai. And so, she waited.

On the sixth day of relentlessly following him, Yan Li finally reached her objective. He was given an order by another Dai Li agent to enter Lake Laogai to cover guard duty for the next three days. He bid his loud family a goodbye and travelled to the very outer walls of Ba Sing Se. With use of his earthbending, he made a doorway to the outside. He closed it behind him, but Yan Li had climbed trees taller than the high wall when in the Spirit World. It was simply a matter of using her sharp nails to create footholds.

After a graceful landing that would rival any pygmy panther, she continued to pursue her ticket into Lake Laogai, which turned out to be a tunnel that burrowed underneath one of the freshwater lakes she had already investigated in vain. Quan kindly opened the rocky door to the tunnel, which Yan Li slipped past before he could close it with his earthbending. The foolish human didn't even notice her presence when she was almost an arm-length's distance away from him.

Or maybe not, as suddenly the dirt rose from her feet and secured around her ankles and wrists.

Her eyes glinted in the dim light of flickering torch-lights as the object of her attention for the past few days stepped forward. He mirrored her anticipative expression as his mouth curled into an arrogant sneer.

"Long Feng," she drawled slowly, a grin snaking its way onto her face. "What a pleasure it is for us finally to meet face to face."

"I assure you," he returned smoothly, "That the pleasure is all mine, to finally capture the little spy we had. What is your name, and what are your intentions?"

"Little?" she giggled coyly, but decided to skip the unnecessary talk and get right to the point. Dao would not be wasting his time. "I am Yan Li, from what you refer to as the Spirit World. My intentions are to claim what is rightfully mine, and gain some more resources in the process."

He scoffed. "You expect me to believe that story? There are no such things as spirits! We have nothing of yours, miss."

Growing tired of his evasive tricks, she snapped at him. "The Orb of Remorse. It does not belong in tainted mortals' hands. If you give it to me, and help me locate the other items, maybe you will have a satisfactory position when I conquer your world."

"Enough. Take her away." He waved his hands to gesture for the two Dai Li agents standing by his side to move her.

She smiled in a predatory fashion. "I'll take that as a 'no' then." Exasperated, he turned his back to continue with matters that awaited him deep in the complex.

He had taken only two steps before Yan Li sliced her impromptu cuffs to pieces.

-

"WOO! YEAH! KICK HIM! KICK HIM TO THE FLOOR! SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS!"

Awkwardly standing beside Sokka – who was hooting and screaming louder than a hog-monkey – Aang surveyed the match that took place before them and had second thoughts about having one of these men as an earthbending teacher. Yes, they were fantastic earthbenders but their lust for violence and lack of mercy conflicted with the Air Nomad philosophy of turning the other cheek and avoiding fighting at all times.

Of course, if one of these earthbenders had socked Aang in the face and he simply turned the other cheek, they'd probably smack him there too for good measure.

Sokka seemed to enjoy it, finding a favourite in The Boulder, who only spoke in third-person. Sokka insisted that it did _not _make him seem like a jerk, instead, it made him really cool… well, okay, he was a jerk but he was a _cool _jerk. The Blind Bandit had not appeared yet; being the reigning champion, they did not battle until the last match with the person who had bested every other contender.

Currently the second-to-last match was taking place and there was no doubt that The Boulder would take down the masked man that faced him (if he ever did stop talking about how he was _going _to do it and just _do it_).

"Hey, hey," Sokka said as he elbowed Aang in the ribs to get his attention after The Boulder had finally shut up and knocked his opponent off the ring, "I reckon The Boulder's gonna take _down _The Blind Bandit, so we should go to him for earthbending training. And get his autograph. Gotta get his autograph."

Aang didn't like the sound of that, picturing The Boulder talking about howhe was going to train him for so long that the comet had already passed and the Fire Lord had taken over the world.

After a brief interval, The Boulder took to the ring once more and stood before two stone slabs that The Blind Bandit was waiting behind. Sokka and Aang sat on the edge of the their seats as the sprung apart, wondering 'How big would The Blind Bandit be? Would he have any tattoos? Would he have muscles on muscles on muscles?'

The Blind Bandit stepped into the light, and the entire crowd cheered.

With the exception of Sokka and Aang. Unlike the rest of the audience, they had never actually seen The Blind Bandit and thus were shocked to find that the huge brawly man they had pictured – not unlike King Bumi's secret physique – was instead a fair-skinned, dark-haired girl half the size of Sokka and no older than Aang.

While the boys' mouths remained agape, she made quick work of The Boulder after accusing him of putting on some weight since they'd last fought against each other. The crowd roared and cheered and The Blind Bandit began to make her exit, after requesting her champion belt back off the referee.

Finally gaining coherent thought, Aang grabbed Sokka and pulled him down the stairs.

"Come on," he urged, "We need to get her to help us find Katara."

-

The sun had long-since set, and the village people had brought their wares inside and gone to bed. The street was silent under the eerie glow of the half-moon, and remained undisturbed.

That is, until a shadow slowly crept out of the dark corner it had hidden itself in, and snuck its way to a window, left open due to the warm night. The family figured themselves as light sleepers, and remained firm in their belief that if anyone tried to enter their home, they would know immediately. This claim proved false as the shadow easily slipped in and out without any indication of it being there, except a few items missing from the pantry and the jar of spare coins left on the table similarly swiped without so much as a tinkle of the coins moving.

The shadow continued to move from house to house, the bag on his shoulders slowly but surely beginning to bulge with the items he had apprehended.

And, as mysteriously as the shadow had arrived, he disappeared into the areas untouched by moonlight.

-

They caught up with her in the corridor leading up to the outside of the underground stadium.

"Sorry," she said as she turned to face them with her hands turned out. "I don't do autographs. Don't write, actually."

"Uh, Blind Bandit, is it? Your earthbending was amazing!" She crossed her arms and sniffed, as if saying that it was all in a day's work. "You see, we got this problem, and we really need your help."

"I don't do charity events."

"No, no, nothing like that!" Sokka interjected, taking a step forward. She took a step back. "My friend, you see, he's the Avatar. And he needs an earthbending teacher, so we thought you—"

"The Avatar? You really think you can trick me with that?"

"He's the last _airbender_! Can't you see his tattoos?" She raised an eyebrow, and Sokka finally took into account her unnerving stare. Oh, and her whole wrestling name. "Ohhh… _Blind _Bandit."

"You're quick, Snoozeles," she chuckled and turned away to continue her path out of the arena.

Aang, determined and losing his earlier lethargy upon realising that Sokka was right – she _could _help them find Katara, airbended his way to overtake her and block her exit. She bumped into him and almost jumped out of her skin.

"What…? How did you…?" she blinked slowly. "You _are _an airbender."

"Yes," Aang said in a voice that sounded far too serious. He coughed a few times to regain his slightly higher-pitched and friendlier tone. "We lost our friend in that swampy forest nearby. We need you to help us find her."

"Huh. If you lost her, Twinkletoes, I don't think you're going to find her. And really, I got no time to mess around on a wild turkey-goose-chase." She pushed Aang out of her way and carried on ascending the path.

The airbender moved to follow her but Sokka gripped onto his arm and winked before talking at a volume that was deliberately loud enough for the girl to hear.

"Oh no, Aang, don't worry about it. She's just a little girl terrified of those swamp creatures. Earth Rumble Champ? Ha! Everyone knows that it's all fixed, anyway."

There was a brief pause, where Sokka thought that maybe he'd taken it too far and, well, it was a good run while it lasted. Then she spun on her heel and stomped over to them with deep footprints in the rock trailing behind her. She poked Sokka in his stomach – he bent forward slightly and coughed – and smiled with that sort of grin that you knew was never good.

"Fine, ya got me. But _first_," she raised the finger she had jabbed Sokka with, "You have to deal with my parents."

Sokka and Aang simultaneously gulped.

-

When Zuko returned from his earlier stint as 'the shadow' to the camp he and Iroh had set up earlier on the edge of town, he was surprised to see Iroh awake and sitting on a log facing him, waiting. He had left while his uncle had been loudly snoring, no longer than fifteen minutes ago. In hindsight, he should have been expecting it.

"What do you have there in your bag, Zuko?" his uncle questioned in a voice which hinted that he knew _exactly _what was in his bag, and where he had got it from.

Instead of trying to lead Iroh around in circles – which he knew his uncle would be able to beat anyway – Zuko lowered the bag to the floor carefully and ran a hand over his fuzzy head, hair growing after years of shaving.

"Uncle," Zuko began, "You know that even if we begged from sunrise to sunset, we'd never get enough money to support ourselves."

"And you think that justifies you stealing people's belongings?"

"It's only small things! Can't you see I'm doing this for our benefit?"

"Our benefit resulting from the suffering of others."

"You're not listening to me, Uncle!"

"No, Zuko!" Iroh snapped as he got to his feet. "It is _you _that does not listen. I told you not to steal, and yet you still did it. You put both of us at risk. What if, while you were gone, Azula caught you? What would you have done then, hmm?"

"Something. I would've come up with something."

"But that's what I mean. You never think these things through! You are still the same boy you were three years ago. You need to grow up and realise that you can't just take something when you want it. As a prince, you should the happiness of others before yourse—"

"I'm _not _a prince anymore!"

Silence settled in the glade for a while, before Zuko opened the bag and pulled out half of the contents and left them scattered around the campfire. He then closed the bag and flung it over his shoulder.

"You're right. I do need to mature and think about things. But I can't while I'm being overshadowed by you. I need to do this, alone."

"Zuko—" Iroh stepped forward to place a hand on Zuko's shoulder but he evaded his gesture and took a few steps backwards, towards the road that they had settled near.

"Goodbye, Uncle."

-

* * *

_Um yeah. So again, sorry about the delay. I've decided that instead of winging it, I should plan it all. And although it is easier plot-wise, it makes me impatient to get to a certain point that I've planned._

_And, believe it or not, but reviews really do encourage authors to get a-typing. Well, for me anyway. :D_


	30. Treat

**Disclaimer:** I don't own **'Avatar: The Last Airbender'**._**  
**_**Notes:** Yeah… No one really responded to my question last chapter. So I'm going to leave the rating as it is, unless someone complains about it.

There are meant to be five members in the Rough Rhinos, but the scene flowed so much better with just three. And the armoured bomb expert (Yeh-Lu) is now an armoured firebender (because Flowerperson wrote the chapter thinking he was a firebender but then found out after the scene was written).

**Sorry** for the lateness. Felt kinda bummed out after the finale and then immersed myself in other fandoms. (and exams and work experience - let's just not go into that) But I want to finish! X[ 5,196 words! Longest chapter Flowerperson has written ever! So there's probably many, many mistakes. And also sorry if you've forgotten what happened. Dao = bad spirit that has imitated Zuko's appearance. Katara = fancies Zuko and Dao. Zuko = fancies Katara, has left Uncle to make his way on his own, all broody and teenage-angst-style and he foolishly fainted like a girly girl last chapter.

8-10 chapters left roughly.

* * *

**Part XXX: Treat**

* * *

"Hey, Beautiful."

She tensed, recognising the voice, remembering her _nickname_. Slowly, carefully, she lifted her head from her hands and surveyed the person – _thing – _standing in front of her, starting from their feet. He wore black, form-fitting clothes (still highlighting every toned muscle), just like when she had first met him, although now his face was exposed. She'd only glimpsed it once for a brief moment before entering the portal, but now could focus on it completely.

He – or _it_ – was the spitting image of Zuko, from the glint of his amber eyes to his angular jaw, with one significant exception: the absence of the exiled prince's infamous scar.

He grinned, exposing a mouth of perfectly aligned, white teeth. _Does Zuko ever smile like this?_

"Trick or treat?"

Katara frowned, taking a step back. "Trick, obviously, if it's you." He didn't respond the way she wanted to; instead his lips pulled into an amused smirk and he walked closer. She continued to back-pedal slowly, keeping her eyes locked with his. Her knuckles continued to pulse though she now found the sensation less painful. "What do you want?"

He moved languidly, at ease. His smug expression suggested that it was _him _that pulled her into this huge swamp. She had no idea why – the last time she'd had the misfortune of seeing him, she'd given him a mean right hook and they'd both travelled through the portal. The thought had plagued her mind of _where _he had gone, and that it couldn't possibly be good, but Aang's need of an earthbending teacher had overridden any contemplation of what had happened to the not-guide.

"Can't I thank the beautiful waterbender that brought me here? I just want to show some… _appreciation_." He licked his bottom lip and Katara felt her knees wobble as he took advantage of her temporary paralysis and invaded her personal space. This situation felt just like Jet all over again. _Stop it, Katara. You are a strong master waterbender._

Strong master waterbender was right. This wasn't the Spirit World, and now she held the advantage. "Get out of my face, whoever you are," she hissed, "Unless you want me to give you your own personal scar, waterbending style." She'd freeze his face so cold that it burned.

He laughed hard, throwing his head back and resting a hand over his trembling abdomen. "You're so cute!" he cooed as he tapped her on the nose. She glared at the offending finger with crossed eyes, which made him erupt into more hysterics and doubled over. She jumped back and took on a waterbending form, ready to take the overconfident jerk down.

"Oh, yeah," he remarked as he recovered, wiping a tear from his eye. "I never did tell you who I was." He then dipped into a graceful bow, his upper body parallel to the floor. He tilted his face to catch her wary gaze. "Dao of the Four – oops, I should say 'Three' – Spirit Siblings. And it is a _pleasure _to make your acquaintance, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

Before Katara should question him on how he knew these things, he supplied her with a pre-emptive answer.

"I've done my research on you, Master Katara. And I've decided that it would be beneficial for me if I had you on my side. More of leverage than anything else, but your waterbending skills and experience of this world will come in handy too."

She bristled. "What do you mean _leverage_? And what makes you think I'm going to join you? I don't know what makes all you guys think this but you can't just _kidnap _me all the time. I'm a master waterbender now, and I'm not playing damsel in distress anymore!" With that firm statement, she drew murky water from the swamp and created a huge tide, intending to wipe that arrogant smile from his face and knock him off his feet.

A man wearing nothing but leaves (when she looked back at this image, she would cringe) stepped forward and deflected the blast. Another man stepped forward and pushed more water towards her. She spun with the water, gaining momentum, before shooting it straight back to the odd waterbenders. More revealed themselves and engaged her into a battle.

So busy with defending and slowly and meticulously taking them all out, she barely caught what the spirit had to say.

"Well," he said as he fished for something in his pockets – an action she caught from the corner of her eye. "You _did _say 'trick', so I suppose I can show you a fancy trick I've discovered." He took out a scrap of deep red silk and wrapped it around his right wrist tightly.

She had finished with the remaining waterbenders now, and turned to face him. The snarky comment that would be followed by an impressive display of waterbending-awesomeness was cut short as her eyes found themselves glued to the red cloth on his wrist. Her arms instantly dropped as if she had lost the ability to move them.

He began to speak, and her gazed switched to his moving lips. He edged closer and gripped her chin in a feather-light grip that she could have broken easily if she so much as twitched. However, any command from her brain to her muscles was ignored as she leaned into his hand and her eyes fluttered closed.

"If you're a good girl, maybe I'll give you a treat, too."

-

Aang glanced back to the girl sitting on Appa's saddle as they approached the swamp. She had her arms crossed across her chest in a defensive manner and seemed to be lost in thought. Although, it was sort of hard to tell with her unseeing eyes. She had made it clear to him more than once to treat her the same as everyone else; she considered her blindness as an advantage as she would not be fooled by any feint an opponent made, and the vibrations in the earth allowed her to see just fine, thank you.

The meeting with the parents had… not gone to plan. He'd been honest – almost too honest – and her parents had found the concept of their precious daughter being an outstanding earthbender absurd. Apparently, her tutor was still working on the basics with her. Finding out that he was the Avatar did not help at all; instead, they shrieked in high-pitched voices that they didn't want their little lily to be a target of the Fire Nation.

Their friend had been dragged into their swamp? They didn't want their baby to go anywhere near that dirty place. Those _germs_!

They rode a flying bison? How dangerous! Weren't those aggressive creatures?

To conclude, they had decided that there absolutely no way that their precious Toph would be going anywhere, and that stricter limits had to be put in place. She would have to stay on the Bei Fong grounds under constant guard. No more earthbending lessons, which would be replaced by increased lessons in etiquette to undo the damage that she had obviously undertaken by coming across these ruffians.

That had been the final straw. She had stormed out of the room under the pretence of saying her farewells to Aang and Sokka but instead quickly packed a bag, changed into her Blind Bandit clothes and climbed her way onto Appa's saddle.

Aang had suggested that she say goodbye to her parents, and Toph told him quite snappily to shut up and hurry up if he wanted to save his friend. Sokka had shaken his head to stop the Air Nomad from continuing to attempt to persuade her.

"Here," the eldest of the three said as he pointed towards a clearing. "Land Appa there. Katara fell somewhere around here; I recognise that patch."

-

The first thing Zuko thought as he awoke was that his head really, really, really hurt. He felt around his temple and came across linen bandages, wrapped around the circumference of his head. What had happened? The last thing he remembered, he was trudging down a dirt-road, starving and thirsty with no town in sight.

He certainly hadn't been captured by Azula, who would never show the mercy to administer first-aid to her own brother. It couldn't have been Uncle; these bandages were tied neat at the perfect tightness, whereas the retired general was always a little bit sloppy.

Zuko took in his surroundings: a small room with paper-screens separating this room from another, a single futon, a small candle upon a dresser, a single window with the shutters closed and a tapestry of a golden-leaved tree on the wall right of the window.

Beside the futon was a bowl of water and a clean cloth. Clearing his parched throat, Zuko eagerly lifted the bowl to his lips and drank greedily, not caring if the water was warm.

There was a gasp behind him. He spun quickly and accidentally leaned on the hand holding the bowl; it smashed in his grip and cut into his skin.

The girl that had entered – with short, brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a peach-coloured robe – let out another gasp and rushed to his side, snatching his hand and carefully extracting the shards. He blinked at her slowly; was she the one that helped him? Her hands were smooth and moved confidently like the medics Zuko had encountered back in the palace.

"Let's go clean that up," she said in a soft voice and gently guided him out of the room via the paper screens and to the outside of the small cabin where there was a small water-pump.

After Zuko's hand had been washed, dried and bandaged, Zuko finally found words, and his manners. "Thank you," he bowed slightly; too deep a bow and his head would have throbbed painfully. "I'm sorry about the bowl."

"Don't worry about it," she smiled and put her hands to his head, moving it to and fro as she asked him if it still hurt, and where, and explained that when she had found him, he had hit his head on a rock when he passed out. She diagnosed that he might have a worse headache because he was malnourished and invited him back into the house to eat supper.

"I'm sorry that it's only rice and a few vegetables," she said as she passed him a bowl. He muttered his gratitude before tucking in, finishing the food in a speed that would rival his uncle's. He had had three bowls by the time he was satisfied and smiled sheepishly when she giggled at the amount of rice he had spilt down himself in his haste.

"So…" he said, an awkward attempt to break the silence. "Thanks again for helping me."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I couldn't call myself a doctor if I didn't help those in need. What were you doing wandering alone around here anyway? Don't you know there's Fire Nation troops all around here?" She frowned. "They'll take anyone as a prisoner of war now." Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself. I'm Song, and you are…?"

"Lee," Zuko answered, slipping into one of his uncle's old lies instantly. The thought of his uncle made him hang his head. He missed him. "I was with someone but we… split up."

"Oh," her eyes shone with sympathy. "It's always sad when relationships end."

His head snapped up and he spluttered in his attempt to quickly correct her. "What? I wasn't— I'm not— I was travelling with my uncle and we had an argument, that's all. It was a stupid argument, really. Well, I was stupid. I thought I could have done better off without him, but I guess I don't."

"You miss him," she smiled sadly and looked to her hands as she twisted them in her lap. "I know what you're feeling. My father and my fiancé have left to go fight the Fire Nation. I really didn't want them to go, but… It's personal for them. Last year, soldiers attacked our home while they were at the next town gathering supplies. My mother was killed and I was badly injured." She lifted her robe, exposing her leg, which should have been a smooth, milky-white yet was a rough dark-pink, terribly scarred. Zuko touched his own mark absent-mindedly. She noticed his action, and lowered her robe, placing her hand on his knee in a comforting gesture. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get your…?" she fumbled over the right way to say it without offending him.

He lowered his hand and hesitantly spoke, feeling that she deserved the truth but couldn't know the entire story. "I spoke out of turn. He wanted to leave me a reminder of how to act."

"You are a brave man, Lee," she beamed. "I admire your courage." Before he could correct her that he wasn't brave _at all_, she picked up the bowls and left to wash them, advising him to rest.

-

"These trees are freakin' huge!" Sokka gaped as they made their way through the forest. With Aang's skill in fancy footwork and Toph's unique ability to 'see' all obstacles, the Water Tribesman found himself tripping and falling face-first in unidentifiable gunk more times than he would have liked. Appa had been left in the clearing – the air bison's large frame making it impossible for him to navigate through the thick forest.

"Seriously," he continued to rant. "This is like some sort of obstacle course. You think they'd be traveller-friendly and create _paths_; I'm tired already! I hope we don't have to kick no bad guys' butts 'cause I am _pooped_!"

At that moment, several scantly-clad, hairy men emerged from the bushes and took on a fighting stance. Aang shook his head at Sokka's tendency to aggravate the universe, muttering "You just had to go and say it, didn't you?", and readied his staff.

Sokka took out his boomerang and pushed the youngest member of their group out of the way, telling her not to worry as they would handle it.

He needn't have bothered, for Toph raised her arms and clenched her fists, causing the sloppy mud to encase them in a firm grip and then dry, hard as rock. Some of the swamp-inhabitants squirmed in vain while others openly gawked at the appearance of the earthbender that had incapacitated them all in one move.

Sokka almost fell back. "_Huh_?!"

"Hey, Snoozeles," she growled as she poked him hard in his midsection. "Stay outta my way when there's a fight, capisce?"

"Understood," Sokka gasped as he clutched his stomach. Her jab had definitely left a bruise.

"Good, let's carry on. Those goons must mean that your friend's nearby."

Hesitantly, the two boys trailed after the obviously-more-than-capable-in-battle girl. Aang felt sweat trickle down his forehead as he remembered that it would be her training him and would undoubtedly show him the same amount of compassion: none. Sokka, reading the Avatar's thoughts by his facial expression, patted him on the shoulder in a gesture of sympathy and _sucks to be you._

-

Zuko was using the water-pump outside the house to gather water to boil the rice in when he was attacked.

Even though he was not fully recovered, he managed to seamlessly dodge the arrows without much difficulty. There was a YuuYan archer and a chain-wielding Fire Native, both riding komodo rhinos. He sprinted into the house, instantly prioritizing the tasks he would have to fulfil.

First: get Song out of the flammable hut and away from the danger zone, leaving him free to take out the mercenaries without breaking the trust she had placed in him. She had saved him, and knowing that he was the same as the monsters that had scarred her, murdered her mother and forced her remaining family into battle would have torn her apart. It wasn't fair to her.

She had heard the attack, too, as she was on her way outside. He gripped her wrist and dragged her out of the house and into the forest to the east. The trees were sparse, but would offer at least some cover against the attacks.

Belatedly, he noticed the furious orange flames raging in the path he had planned to take, the heat creeping steadily closer and way too strong for him to diminish without screaming _hey hey look I'm a firebender_. Biting his cheek, he turned slowly to face the two that waited behind him. They sneered.

"Hey, Doc," the one holding the chain spoke up, staring down Song. The way he had given Zuko a long look-over suggested that he did not recognise him and hadn't met Song before (the bandages wrapped around Zuko's head were practically a label for 'PATIENT'). "We happened to be helping some pretty lady look for her chest, and one of your patients said you got a fancy-looking chest, yourself. You wanna show it to us?"

She stuttered. "I d-don't know any chests." Zuko noticed she blinked too many times to be telling the truth; the man seemed to detect the lie, too.

"Oh yeah? Well how about that we burn down that little house of yours and then raid through the rubble? Hmmm? Or how about we give your big-boy patient another scar?"

A bead of sweat could be seen under her bangs. "I…"

Song had no chance to supply them with the truth – or another lie – as a heavily-armoured firebender emerged out of the door to the very cabin they had threatened to destroy, carrying a small chest with intricate carvings and faded paint. Deciding to make another break for it before it turned ugly, Zuko tapped Song's palm and discreetly pointed to the west behind his back so the Rough Rhinos – who he now recognised from the tales Iroh had told him of a ragtag group including a firebender, archer and weapons' expert – would not see.

"Well, well, look what we got here. Did you really think you could—"

"RUN!" Zuko hollered as he threw the metal pot he had in his hands to be filled at the water-pump at the YuuYan archer, stunning the greatest threat in their escape. The spokesperson for the group threw his ball-and-chain, which Zuko kicked away. It wrapped around the foot of the YuuYan archer's komodo rhino. The creature panicked and stampeded to the south, carrying the archer away and dragging the other man off his own method of transport.

The firebender hesitated on dropping the chest and firing a blast or carefully placing the object down and then attacking, which was all Zuko needed for them to escape to the beaten track leading to the nearby town. The Rough Rhinos would not risk making a big scene there.

Shrugging, the firebender – known to his friends as Yeh-Lu – mused that at least they had the chest.

But, strangely, it felt as if it was empty.

-

The mysterious man – Aang and Sokka blinked with familiarity; Zuko… without a scar? – was so quick to pounce upon them that even Toph didn't have time to give them a warning. He leapt upon Sokka's back and gripped both his boomerang and club, throwing them far away to the side. He then flipped off, kicking the back of Sokka's head in the process.

The Water Tribesman fell face first in the mud and groaned something about his luck.

He faced Aang next, sprinting to his side and lifting his knee up to try and wind him. Aang jumped backwards with the aid of his airbending and took out his staff. Creating small balls of air, he began batting them towards their mysterious assailant, who dipped and ducked and dived and dodged to avoid them as he steadily closed the distance between them.

The Zuko-Clone took out his sword – an odd-looking object with a black blade and a grey hilt that was studded with rubies – and lifted it high above Aang's head. Panicking, the Avatar created an upsurge blast of air that should have knocked the weapon out of his hands but instead the blade sliced through the air current and cleanly sliced Aang's staff-cum-glider in two. He flipped the sword, making another attempt to wind the Air Nomad but was knocked off-balance by a wall of sloppy mud driving into him from Toph (who Sokka would later lecture for taking far too long and hey, why didn't she save him from getting the worst headache in the history of headaches?).

Aang and Toph combined forces; Toph lifted the mud and made it as dense as stone while Aang sent it flying. The Zuko-alike was coping, but obviously not well a large mudball glanced off his hip. He winced, clutching his side.

"Hmm. An earthbender too, huh? I didn't think I'd have to bring out the surprise this early. Ah well." He clicked his fingers. "Oh, dear? We've got visitors. Look after the Avatar for me, will you? He's a very important guest."

"Yes, darling," a familiar voice gushed.

Sokka rubbed his head. Boy, it really sounded like his sister but it couldn't be…

"Katara?!" he screeched as she emerged from the forest. She didn't pay him any mind, batting her eyelashes at their assailant then approaching Aang. "What are you _wearing_?"

It was ruby-red with black lining and made of a satin-like material and far too revealing for someone like Sokka's innocent baby sister to wear. It wasn't too short, touching the ground – yet had no stains on it whatsoever – but the square-neckline was indecently low, in Sokka's opinion. Dear Yue, it showed off her _cleavage_!

Sokka turned to Aang, who was drooling. "Stop looking!" he shrieked at him before facing Katara again. "Sis, cover yourself up! What's going on here?!"

"Sokka," Toph called as she tried to placate him with a hand on his arm as he threw a tantrum out of confusion and disgust. "Is Katara wearing something strange?"

"_Strange_? Do you not _see_—ah, sorry."

"No worries. You'll get used to it. Anyway," she began in hushed tones, "I just heard those swamp men talking and they said that Aang's acting the same way that Katara did when he tied something to his wrist. Can you see anything?"

"Yeah, a red ribbon or something," Sokka described as he squinted his eyes to look at the Zuko lookalike, even though the ribbon was clearly visible without straining his eyes. "Hey! It's the same colour as Katara's dress!"

"He must be using it to seduce Katara just like what Katara's dress is doing to Aang."

"Wow. That's really convenient that you overheard the swamp-people saying that. It would have taken us at least the rest of this chapter to figure it out."

"Don't complain about it."

"Just saying."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" He wasn't, but he didn't want to be humiliated by the little girl again so he nodded emphatically. "Okay. And no more screaming please – it hurts my ears."

And with that, Toph earthbended a wall of mud to push Katara into their enemy's pathway, who had grown tired of their chatter and was mounting an attack to separate them from their hushed whispers. He was taken aback by Katara's presence a few inches away as she blushed prettily. The Zuko-lookalike dropped his sword and grabbed her to plant a kiss on her full lips, weak against the magic of her dress when there was the element of attraction.

"Hey! That was the plan?!" Sokka yelped, making Toph's ears ring. She gave him the best evil glare a blind person could muster – which was pretty good, actually – and ordered him to pick up the sword since both his weapons had been chucked somewhere in the dense wood that surrounded them.

He did as he was told.

The sword felt strange in his hand; he'd handled one before though never had lessons because he'd always favoured the blunt club as a short-ranged weapon. Partly because Sokka was incredibly accident-prone and whacking himself with the club was better than slicing himself into bits. This one felt like an extension of his arm and seemed to make his arm move with more grace than even the waterbenders.

Sokka glanced at his sibling kissing the Zuko-clone then the scrap of cloth around the jerk's wrist. Slowly, a grin formed on his face.

"Time for my plan!"

As gently as he could (which wasn't very gentle at all), Sokka pushed Katara away from the stranger. His golden eyes widened, taking in the sword as the water tribe warrior lifted the weapon high above his head.

Sokka sliced downwards.

-

Zuko and Song stopped at a small stream that flowed slowly through the forest they had been sprinting through for the past fifteen minutes or so. Usually, Zuko could go for longer but Song had almost collapsed after five and supporting her had finally taken its toll. He wondered how his uncle managed to keep running when they were chasing the Avatar or fleeing from bounty hunters.

She splashed her face with the cool water, attempting to get her breath back.

"Thank you," she panted. "I don't know what would have happened to me without you. It would have been easier if I'd just given it to them but… I couldn't. It means everything to me." At this, she broke into tears.

Zuko – unsure of what to do – pat her on the back hesitantly. "Consider it payback for healing me. I'm sorry you had to leave your precious item behind."

Through her tears, she let loose a small chuckle. "I didn't. The chest was empty; I have it on me all the time, to remind me of my fiancé." She showed him her hand, which bore a thin gold ring with four encrusted jewels: a ruby, a diamond, a sapphire and an emerald. "It's our engagement ring. He found it in that chest when he was hunting for food in the area. I could never give it to _them_. Never."

Something tugged at him; the memory of Katara's obsession with her blue necklace sprung up in the forefront of his mind with a sharp onset of… He didn't want to think about it any more. Didn't want to think about her any more.

"They'll be back, won't they?" she asked, spinning the gold band around her finger. The precious stones glistened in the midday sun. "They'll chase me forever and eventually they'll get it. I don't know what they want it for but I can guess it's something bad."

Zuko looked closely at the ring. He didn't think it looked particularly special; the Fire Nation possessed much more valuable items that made this look like a beggar's trinket. Zuko's brow furrowed as he glared at the ring, hoping it would provide answers via telepathy. Unfortunately, it didn't.

"I want you to have it, Lee."

He blinked. "What?"

She eased the ring from her finger and held in tightly in her fist. "I have this instinct telling me that you're the best person to have the ring. You're the only one that can look after it."

Zuko spluttered as he tried to come up with excuses for taking a girl's engagement ring from her. He didn't have any idea of what to do with it, it didn't even fit him, and it was a bit too girly for a guy to wear. Nevertheless, she forced it into his hand as if she wanted to get it rid of it as soon as possible before she changed her mind.

Then something quite odd happened.

In front of their very eyes, the ring quivered. The gold band seemed to lose its solid structure and form a thicker, glutinous ring before slowly hardening, clearly a number of ring sizes bigger.

"Try it on," she whispered. And he did.

-

"Ohh," Dao sighed mournfully, staring at his stump of an elbow and the twitching limb on the floor. The Water Tribe boy was in shock, mouth agape, wondering why he did not bleed like them. The Avatar, who had turned away once the boy raised Dao's sword (_what a weakling_) but peeked through splayed fingers, was in a similar state.

Katara shook herself out of the fabric's spell, now that the scrap that Dao used had been oh-so-courteously slashed away from his body. Holding a hand to her head, Dao made a mental count to three before, true enough, her blue eyes rolled into the back of her head and fainted.

He considered catching her with his one arm but, really, it would leave him wide open to any other cheap attack the elder brother attempted. Besides, the blind earthbender had already heard her feminine sigh and built a compact mud-bed to catch her.

Ah. Now he was in a dilemma. The swamp-people had turned tail upon witnessing the skill of the small earthbender. One immortal being versus an earthbending master, an Avatar and someone who possessed _his_ sword were not good odds. Of course he couldn't die but being hacked to pieces was extremely detrimental to his plans.

Time to bow out, but not without a little speech to get the ragtag group to do his bidding unintentionally. After all, he _was _Yan Li's brother and had picked up on some of her 'motivational' speeches over the centuries.

But first, his arm.

_Pop!_

He shook his new arm experimentally. It was unmarred and working fine, but felt a little numb. In his experiences of losing appendages in the past (because, believe it or not, this Water Tribe kid was not the first person to get a lucky shot), this sensation faded after the first hour.

"What the heck _are _you?" the blue-eyed boy shrieked, pointing Dao's own weapon at him. Dao pouted; seeing such a shrill idiot holding his precious weapon burned.

"A friendly spirit," he smiled pleasantly as he held both hands up in a surrendering gesture. The earthbender scoffed. "I have to say I am impressed. Using my own bait against me? Classic. Oh, don't worry," he added as the warrior took an aggressive stance with the blade pointed directly at Dao, "I think you've had enough fun today and I can put my hands up and admit when I've lost the battle.

"That sword of mine – or rather, of yours – is a legendary blade. Any wielder of it has never been defeated… as long as they don't drop it, of course." That wound on his pride would smart for a long time. "You may wonder why I'm telling you this and I guess it's your prize for beating me, along with the sword. You see, that item is one of ten. Your dear waterbender was kind enough to bring me through to this world so I can collect them all and conquer the mortal and spiritual realms. Don't even try to stop me by collecting them; it'll only be fun for me, and you'll just embarrass yourself."

He just loved reverse psychology, but not as much he would have enjoyed the look on the Water Tribe boy's face when the self-professed 'friendly spirit' disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

-


End file.
